Shostakovich rails against Soviet oppression throughout the Fifth Symphony—his most thrilling, stark, and uncompromising of all. Gianandrea Noseda teases out every last extraordinary detail, the London Symphony Orchestra navigating the first movement’s quick-changing moods with startling precision and brass playing of astonishing dexterity, from the angry opening strings to its manic march and weeping violin solo. The grim, brooding Largo is performed with breathtaking clarity and textural richness, while the final minutes of the epic, bombastic finale have rarely been played with such excoriating, visceral energy.
Other Versions
- Berlin Philharmonic & Kirill Petrenko
- Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic & Columbia Symphony Orchestra
- London Philharmonic Orchestra & Vladimir Jurowski
- Berlin Philharmonic & Sir Simon Rattle
- Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Bernard Haitink
- Munich Philharmonic & Valery Gergiev
- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Riccardo Chailly