A tremendous Shostakovich 15 from Dresden

Miachael Sanderling (son of the great Kurt Sanderling) is a conductor I am aching to hear live. His contribution to this remarkable disc of Grieg and Schumann piano concertos with Elisabeth Leonskaja was notable indeed; and this is a Shostakovich 15 for the ages. Yes, the runtime is low for a DVD or Bluray (the symphony lasts 58 minutes, and there is a 15-minute interview in German, with English subtitles available). But what a performance!

In that interview included with this DVD/Bluray, Michael Sanderling (an engaging speaker) explains the opening of Shostakovich's Fifteenth, and last, symphony: two tinklings of the door, at the entrance to a toy shop. In that toy shop, of course, lies a procession of found material (Shostakovich's penchant of quotation pervades this piece). including Rossini's William Tell Overture early on and, later, Wagner, the Todesvekündigung).

Part of the success of the first movement is the performance's the cleanliness. everything is so exact; the acoustic of the Kulturpalast supports this beautifully. It also supports the beautiful outpouring of the slow movement (Adagio - Largo). The Dresden brass are superb as a unit here; as is a pair of flutes, achingly expressive. Shostakovich's perfect orchestration comes evident, too: his creation of vast registral spaces between the flutes and low strings, lonely trumpet against pizzicato brings, the trombone's funeral march. Awareness of mortality is at the heart of this movement. So it is that the movement climax is soul-crushing, and yet everything is audible. The brass' snaking lines carry huge menace; the pounding timpani feel like a fibrillating heart. The magic of celeste and glockenspiel is remarkable here - so poignant.

The Allegretto works though the clockwork mechanisms and their contrasts with moments of imagined lyricism and soliloquy (in the leader's solos, for example). There is almost a sense of foreboding underneath all of this; against this, Sandeling provides moments of gossamer lightness. The finale is phenomenal, a work of genus performed wih true grit. The climax is shattering, a slow death march that will never be stopped, the percussion's ticking close as haunting as in any performance out there; throughout, Sanderling absolutely acknowledges the importance of percussion for this symphony.

Camera work is well managed throughout; the ability to see exactly how Sanderling communicates so well with his players and how his clear but expressive beat gets the levels of unity the performance exudes is a real plus point. Excellent work from director János Darvas.

You can find the performance here (from EuroArts Channel on YouTube; it's blocked for displaying on blogs!) but of course, the DVD/Bluray experience is preferable. And here's an excerpt:

The Bluray is available at Amazon here;