I had just thought about what I was going to write on this subject, but you summed it up in one statement. Regardless of this impressive composition and this convincing orchestral work, the "film" is absolutely worth seeing! The camera work and the ingenious editing, as well as the psychedelically effective dissolves - in interaction with this psychidelically effective music - are something very special among the many recordings of classical music.
This work is a masterstroke on how to tame the chaos of life. With tremendous power of ideas and simultaneous frenzy, anger, despair, hope, sadness and a pinch of humour. Shostakovich has always been able to combine this well, but this work is perhaps truly his magnum opus, one of the very important hours of music ever in the 20th century. Some of it may be exuberant, but I don't hold that against him. I will probably never be able to properly put into words the mysteriousness that this work has, and I am delighted every time that I am moved and at the same time new questions arise. For me personally, Shostakovich is the composer who shakes my emotions and sharpens my mind at the same time.
I very much agree. The more I listen to this, though, the humour, the magic, the fantasia stand out more. (it's quite full of humor, actually) The underlying melodies are those that might be in a children's piece but then are treated with a thousand layers of complexity and mystery. I do not hear the despair, even though everyone else seems to. Even at the very end there is a prevailing sense of awe. Life is full of contradictions as is this masterwork.
I love everything that you said but why do you have to limit its importance to just the 20th century? Why can’t it be an important symphony in classical music overall?
The quintessential Shostakovich symphony for me. It encompasses terror and hope, raw might, brave defiance and quiet despair. The fact that he cancelled its release out of fear it might cost him his life, makes it all the more powerful. And yet he lived to see its premiere. And it's all there, in the music.
Imagine yourself a violinist in preparation of this symphony premiere. Imagine 10 MONTHS of rehearsals. Now, imagine the frustration of the news of the premiere being cancelled. AND WE GET TO HEAR THIS TODAY.
Right with you, Thomas. Whenever I hear this I have a deep sense of a "road not taken": how different DS's development as a composer might have been had things turned out differently. Thank goodness it eventually saw the light of day. This is a superb performance and the sound is great.
I keep going back to this symphony over and over. It just becomes more and more apparent to me that this is majestic genius. I suspect the reputation of this symphony will only grow and grow thru time.
I’m actually reading a wonderful book about Shostakovich right now (it’s called Symphony for the City of the Dead), and there is a fair bit of evidence that Shostakovich had no choice in the matter, rather, the orchestra was compelled to cancel the premiere at the demand of Stalin’s secret police. I can’t recommend the book more highly.
Easily the best performance of that fiendish, frenetic, hyper-fast string fugue that interrupts the development section of the first movement. Absolutely focused and in sync without slowing down or losing any intensity
Tend to agree. As fierce an aural manifestation of DSCH's depth of feeling in the moments that brought pen to page as any in his entire oeuvre. The technical execution by the WDR band in this performance is merely the boring standard of the best of the German radio orchestra tradition i.e. rock-solid, reliable professionalism that, from time to time, can simply astound the listener!
Diese Musik ist die tellurische, tektonische Kraft der Seele mit ihren Konflikten, ihren Ängsten; nach dem Kampf ist nicht bekannt, ob ein innerer Frieden oder eine unvermeidliche Resignation oder das Ende des Lebens eingetreten ist. Danke Meister Schostakowitsch. Wie ich schon an anderer Stelle geschrieben habe, finde ich die Dame, die das Piccoloflöte spielt, wunderschön. Viele Grüße aus der antiken Stadt Lecce in Italien.
I hear loads of 5th and 7th in here. Was speculating maybe he intentionally reused/reinterpreted a lot of the ideas as his audience would have to wait decades to find in the 4th what would appear unique and characterise sections of 5th and 7th.
Immense beauté de ce chaos symphonique en pleine terreur stalinnienne. Formidable final exhubérant s'évanouissant dans une extinction déchirante. Vidéo sublime
I would like to send an immense amount of love towards those who are uploading these videos. This is one of my favorite symphonies, and one of my favorite performances by Semyon Bychkov. I am so incredibly grateful to those who have uploaded this rare video recording. If possible, is there a DVD/VCR tape of this video recording available for purchase?
Hi, RSci! Unfortunately this performance is not available on DVD, although it was a television-production. But we are so happy to hear your words of praise. Warm greetings from Cologne!
@@WDRKlassik Absolutely stunning performance! I had to listen to it multiple times. Your team of technicians also deserves a huge thank you, the quality of the recording, even via the relatively compressed format, is wonderful.
I’ve listened to this recording with pleasure on several occasions. In two days I will hear a live performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. (2/9/24) I’m certain it will be splendid.
Красивое завершение симфонии - тишина. Это - пауза, которую выдерживает дирижер. В тишине человек должен думать о завтрашнем дне. Или дальнейшее разрушение или созидание, как эпилог произведения.
Además de la magnífica interpretación de la O.S. de la WDR, magistralmente dirigida por este gran maestro, el montaje de esta grabación es la perfección absoluta
@@technik-lexikon. Yes! That first dischord, for example, can only be described with horror, ( or by that "kinda silly" scene.) I read that Shostakowich once remarked that he could not recall a day when he had not been afraid.
Monumental!!!! O diretor de imagens merece um OSCAR!!!!! Fez toda a diferença as filmagens além da excelente execução da WDR sob a batuta de Semyon Bychkov. BRAVO!!!
A pirate version was there a few years ago ! I'm so happy to have the official one to stay now :) Vielen dank. Es ist eine wunderschöne Interpretation.
"Молчание- земли укор, на всем лежит печать былого. И каждый вздох её- простор. И каждый камень- полуслово. И я молчу и ,не дыша, внимаю общему молчанию, где всё подвластно ожиданию. Вот- вот , заговорит душа" Э. Балашов.
@@onkmonne824 Дмитрий Шостакович- гений. Он как пророк в музыке. Даже если написана 4 симфония до событий 1941 года, в 1934-1936гг. Лично я слышу в музыке накал человеческих противоречий, е которому неоднократно будет возвращаться автор в своих монументальных симфонических произведениях 5,7 8,9,11симфониях. Спасибо за уточнение.
Muy completa, la Sinfonía N° 4. Expresiva. Rica en temas Representa la época más libre, creativa de Shostakovich. Tuvo que suspender su estreno, para no tener problemas con los jerarcas. Pero su legítima creatividad está representada. Es mi preferida. Desde Chile 🇨🇱.
My favourite is KK live in Amsterdam in 1971:here on YT.But this although slower is good.A pity the last 5 minutes when the celesta plays are hidden and focused on the conductor.
I consider the greatest victory of Stalin to be the fact that when Shostakovich, Maria Yudina, etc. were mentioned now, be sure to mention Him. It is unlikely that they dreamed about it and asked someone about it. But all the work is done by musicologists and authors of popular biographies ...
I remember how tremendously excited I was to finally be able to buy the album of this symphony, the Haitink, and for a long time I thought it was the first recording available in the west. What an incredible symphony! Thank you for sharing this, but sadly the camera work is bad, as is usually the case .
A question: I heard a Symphony where he quotes Rossini's Wilhelm Tell Overture. Forgot what number it was. Can you help me? Thanks a lot. Btw, I love in particular nrs 5, 7 and 8, but all others are fine with me!
Wessen Idee war es denn das ganze Auditorium mit schwarzem Samt zu verhängen? Das muss doch unheimlich Schall schlucken. Deswegen klingt das auch so seltsam gedämpft.
Lieber Quotenwagnerianer! Als Semyon Bychkov unser Chefdirigent war gab es eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem WDR Fernsehen bei der alle Schostakowitsch Sinfonien aufgezeichnet wurden. Das Regiekonzept wurde vom Fernsehen erarbeitet - aus bildästhetischen Gründen war es so beabsichtigt, dass der Saal schwarz ausgehängt wird. Das bringt natürlich veränderte akustische Verhältnisse, aber selbstverständlich wurde das mit Tonmeister, Orchestermanagement und Semyon Bychkov vorab abgestimmt. Ob die Aufnahme gefällt, entscheiden die Hörer:innen dann ganz individuell :) Viele Grüße vom WDR Sinfonieorchester
WBJC is playing inferior Canadian music today because it's Canada Day. All music is inferior to German and Italian music, with honorable mention to Russian music.
2 years on and being haunted by this performance I have to say that I was careless. There are some untidy bits but Bychkov grabbed this work and found its core. A man should have the guts to say he was wrong. The slower approach to the post climax remainder of the work really helps to dig deep and the forces under great direction make this very special.
The video editing is out of this world and is exactly what this masterpiece requires and deserves. WOW.
We are glad that you like it! 😊
I had just thought about what I was going to write on this subject, but you summed it up in one statement.
Regardless of this impressive composition and this convincing orchestral work, the "film" is absolutely worth seeing!
The camera work and the ingenious editing, as well as the psychedelically effective dissolves - in interaction with this psychidelically effective music - are something very special among the many recordings of classical music.
I see a gaze of shostakovich from abyss to the eternity.
This work is a masterstroke on how to tame the chaos of life. With tremendous power of ideas and simultaneous frenzy, anger, despair, hope, sadness and a pinch of humour. Shostakovich has always been able to combine this well, but this work is perhaps truly his magnum opus, one of the very important hours of music ever in the 20th century. Some of it may be exuberant, but I don't hold that against him. I will probably never be able to properly put into words the mysteriousness that this work has, and I am delighted every time that I am moved and at the same time new questions arise. For me personally, Shostakovich is the composer who shakes my emotions and sharpens my mind at the same time.
I very much agree. The more I listen to this, though, the humour, the magic, the fantasia stand out more. (it's quite full of humor, actually) The underlying melodies are those that might be in a children's piece but then are treated with a thousand layers of complexity and mystery. I do not hear the despair, even though everyone else seems to. Even at the very end there is a prevailing sense of awe. Life is full of contradictions as is this masterwork.
I love everything that you said but why do you have to limit its importance to just the 20th century? Why can’t it be an important symphony in classical music overall?
The best symphony ever written.
Agree
exEcUsee mE
A wild, yet reasonable opinion lol
Wrong
I agree if you leave out Beethoven.
The quintessential Shostakovich symphony for me. It encompasses terror and hope, raw might, brave defiance and quiet despair. The fact that he cancelled its release out of fear it might cost him his life, makes it all the more powerful. And yet he lived to see its premiere. And it's all there, in the music.
Imagine yourself a violinist in preparation of this symphony premiere. Imagine 10 MONTHS of rehearsals. Now, imagine the frustration of the news of the premiere being cancelled. AND WE GET TO HEAR THIS TODAY.
Right with you, Thomas. Whenever I hear this I have a deep sense of a "road not taken": how different DS's development as a composer might have been had things turned out differently. Thank goodness it eventually saw the light of day. This is a superb performance and the sound is great.
I couldn't agree more! Thank you!
I keep going back to this symphony over and over. It just becomes more and more apparent to me that this is majestic genius. I suspect the reputation of this symphony will only grow and grow thru time.
I’m actually reading a wonderful book about Shostakovich right now (it’s called Symphony for the City of the Dead), and there is a fair bit of evidence that Shostakovich had no choice in the matter, rather, the orchestra was compelled to cancel the premiere at the demand of Stalin’s secret police. I can’t recommend the book more highly.
I can think of many many movie scores from the 60s that would not have existed without the inspiration of this work
really? what insight do you have about that I had no idea this was a major piece for film score, sounds interesting
when I close my eyes listening to this piece a full story can easily unfold in my mind. That's the power of a well written symphony.
Not sure if a lot of composers would have known about it at that point. It wasn’t premiered until the 60s despite it being written in the 30s
La meilleure 4ème de Chostakovitch. Cohérente, puissante, claire et éloquente ! Merci WDR. Le maestro Bychkov fait ici un travail incomparable
Easily the best performance of that fiendish, frenetic, hyper-fast string fugue that interrupts the development section of the first movement. Absolutely focused and in sync without slowing down or losing any intensity
Tend to agree. As fierce an aural manifestation of DSCH's depth of feeling in the moments that brought pen to page as any in his entire oeuvre. The technical execution by the WDR band in this performance is merely the boring standard of the best of the German radio orchestra tradition i.e. rock-solid, reliable professionalism that, from time to time, can simply astound the listener!
A Dynamic Symphony played by a Great Orchestra 🎶💥🎶💖🎶💥
Thank you! 🥰
0:00 is a good place to start. ^ I can tell that this conductor loves Shosty's 4th as much as I do.
He hated being called Shosty.
@@michaelweiner4836 Who started it?
Love how this symphony is so metal it's spinning the room at breakneck speeds, but when it stops that xylophonist is like, "I got this."
Camerawork and conducting are amazing.... very powerful.
Bychkov knows and understands this music to its core. A truly great performance of perhaps DS's greatest symphony.
Agree
One of the great conductors of our time I believe.
Diese Musik ist die tellurische, tektonische Kraft der Seele mit ihren Konflikten, ihren Ängsten; nach dem Kampf ist nicht bekannt, ob ein innerer Frieden oder eine unvermeidliche Resignation oder das Ende des Lebens eingetreten ist. Danke Meister Schostakowitsch. Wie ich schon an anderer Stelle geschrieben habe, finde ich die Dame, die das Piccoloflöte spielt, wunderschön. Viele Grüße aus der antiken Stadt Lecce in Italien.
Danke für die netten Worte! Die Dame ist unsere Kollegin Leonie Brockmann - sie spielt noch immer im Orchester!
6:02 goofy flute | 7:11 build up to terror | 7:20 scratch | 7:26 terror | 12:16 transition spiral | 39:23 | 45:35 mix |
55:34 drums to explosion | 55:44 explosion trumpets | 57:47 | 58:14 explosion |
at 45:35 is he quoting 5th symphony or am i crazy? if i recall correctly when he wrote 5th symphony he was still working on the end of this one
@@VepiumOfficial Perhaps (I'm not familiar enough with the symphonies to be able to answer definitively)
I hear loads of 5th and 7th in here. Was speculating maybe he intentionally reused/reinterpreted a lot of the ideas as his audience would have to wait decades to find in the 4th what would appear unique and characterise sections of 5th and 7th.
Immense beauté de ce chaos symphonique en pleine terreur stalinnienne.
Formidable final exhubérant s'évanouissant dans une extinction déchirante.
Vidéo sublime
Merci 😊
I would like to send an immense amount of love towards those who are uploading these videos. This is one of my favorite symphonies, and one of my favorite performances by Semyon Bychkov. I am so incredibly grateful to those who have uploaded this rare video recording.
If possible, is there a DVD/VCR tape of this video recording available for purchase?
Hi, RSci!
Unfortunately this performance is not available on DVD, although it was a television-production. But we are so happy to hear your words of praise. Warm greetings from Cologne!
@@WDRKlassik Absolutely stunning performance! I had to listen to it multiple times. Your team of technicians also deserves a huge thank you, the quality of the recording, even via the relatively compressed format, is wonderful.
Also congratulations from Mexico! I heard this exceptional symphony years ago, but this is the first time that I can watch a live performance. Thanks!
I’ve listened to this recording with pleasure on several occasions. In two days I will hear a live performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. (2/9/24) I’m certain it will be splendid.
Una gran demostración de poder. Un poder que ningún tirano podrá poseer jamás: el poder de la música, del arte.
Finalmente, Shostakovich vence.
I absolutely adore the cinematography here!
An astonishing performance of a monumental music. Difficult to describe. So much details in excellence.
Grande sinfonia, em particular o 3º andamento. O final é uma coisa ... até vêm as lágrimas ao maestro
Obrigado 🤗
Красивое завершение симфонии - тишина. Это - пауза, которую выдерживает дирижер. В тишине человек должен думать о завтрашнем дне.
Или дальнейшее разрушение или созидание, как эпилог произведения.
Además de la magnífica interpretación de la O.S. de la WDR, magistralmente dirigida por este gran maestro, el montaje de esta grabación es la perfección absoluta
The screenplay is fantastic (outcluding the kinda silly effect at the beginning)
I didn't know outcluding is a word lol
For me, the effect at the start was pefect. Large parts of the 4th are a nightmare. This makes the (never) ending so amazing.
@@peterwhyte317 I hope you mean "nightmare" in a good way (I mean it's intended to sound nightmare-ish)
@@technik-lexikon. Yes! That first dischord, for example, can only be described with horror, ( or by that "kinda silly" scene.) I read that Shostakowich once remarked that he could not recall a day when he had not been afraid.
58:30 I always imagine driving car in thick fog here... Alone... at night.
He's a master of eerie music.
Great production. Amazing!!! Well done WDR!!!!!!!!
Thank you! 😊
The low brass sound especially good in this performance; Harry Ries is perfect on the trombone solos in the last movement.
Greatest Symphony 👌
. . . except for others that are just as good - and even better. 🤔
The 4th is the greatest of all. Read about it.
superb director I just got to find today on yt
🤗
this is IMMENSE.
Грандиозная, мощнейшая музыка. СПАСИБО!!!
Monumental!!!! O diretor de imagens merece um OSCAR!!!!! Fez toda a diferença as filmagens além da excelente execução da WDR sob a batuta de Semyon Bychkov. BRAVO!!!
Concordo com você. Tudo aqui é uma obra prima.
A pirate version was there a few years ago ! I'm so happy to have the official one to stay now :) Vielen dank. Es ist eine wunderschöne Interpretation.
Adoro a condução do Bychkov. A mais visceral da 4° Sinfonia.
O melhor termo, em português, seria ''regência''.😃
Una Sinfonía impecable en su ejecución mi favorita
I liked the intro, it's like those 70's films.
At the start I thought that my laptop was malfunctioning, and was relieved to find that all was well.
16:00 what?😳 This is insane
Eblouissante interprétation ! J'en suis extrêmement bouleversé.
"Молчание- земли укор, на всем лежит печать былого. И каждый вздох её- простор. И каждый камень- полуслово. И я молчу и ,не дыша, внимаю общему молчанию, где всё подвластно ожиданию. Вот- вот , заговорит душа" Э. Балашов.
Fantastic performance and a great recording.
Thank you!
Так писать мог только тот, кто видел все ужасы войны. Это великий композитор.
Он написал это до войны
@@onkmonne824 Дмитрий Шостакович- гений. Он как пророк в музыке. Даже если написана 4 симфония до событий 1941 года, в 1934-1936гг.
Лично я слышу в музыке накал человеческих противоречий, е которому неоднократно будет возвращаться автор в своих монументальных симфонических произведениях 5,7 8,9,11симфониях.
Спасибо за уточнение.
Эта симфония скорее об ужасе сталинского террора
Sublime! Obrigado!
Неплохая запись. Вероятно даже хорошая. Люблю эту симфонию.
Muy completa, la Sinfonía N° 4. Expresiva. Rica en temas Representa la época más libre, creativa de Shostakovich. Tuvo que suspender su estreno, para no tener problemas con los jerarcas. Pero su legítima creatividad está representada. Es mi preferida. Desde Chile 🇨🇱.
😊
PAZ......LIBERTAD........SALUD.....FELI CIDAD.......RESPETO......DIGNIDAD....
Great preformance
Fantastik!!!!!!!!
My favourite is KK live in Amsterdam in 1971:here on YT.But this although slower is good.A pity the last 5 minutes when the celesta plays are hidden and focused on the conductor.
I have no words................
I think his fifth is even better. Probably my favorite piece of music ever written.
BRAVO !!!
🤗
I consider the greatest victory of Stalin to be the fact that when Shostakovich, Maria Yudina, etc. were mentioned now, be sure to mention Him. It is unlikely that they dreamed about it and asked someone about it. But all the work is done by musicologists and authors of popular biographies ...
🧐?
I remember how tremendously excited I was to finally be able to buy the album of this symphony, the Haitink, and for a long time I thought it was the first recording available in the west. What an incredible symphony!
Thank you for sharing this, but sadly the camera work is bad, as is usually the case .
timestamps for myself
5:14
11:27
15:56
no
@@pcgaming7680sigma
Faultless playing! To me, Kondrashin's was the best but Bychkov amazed me. They are both superb.
A question: I heard a Symphony where he quotes Rossini's Wilhelm Tell Overture. Forgot what number it was. Can you help me? Thanks a lot. Btw, I love in particular nrs 5, 7 and 8, but all others are fine with me!
The symphony with the Wilhelm Tell quote is the Symphony No. 15 in A major 😊
@@WDRKlassik thank you!
Thrilling
🤗
16:34 18:04 Dimitri, Dimitri...was machst Du mit den Leuten...der Dirigent 😂😂😂😂❤️
👏👏👏
Ainda nao consegui compreender essa sinfonia Apesar de ser linda
16:00
ここすき
The true tragedy of this piece is that Shostakovich had to withdraw it and never perform it, because of the swine that ruled the nation at that time.
0:00
3:55
49:45
I don’t really care for dissonance, but I do like Shostakovichian dissonance
I can compare it to Anna Akhmatova's Requiem.
The beginning made me laugh
*А где тремоло большого барабана в финале?*
An excellent performance of this complex symphony. One question. Who plays the first violin?
Elise Batnes, now concertmaster of Oslo Philharmonic
Thank You very much!
16:00
이 교향곡은 도대체 어떤 자세로 들어야 하는건가?
Do you have eyes to see / ears to hear ??????? Shepherd's Chapel Network !!!!!!!
Wessen Idee war es denn das ganze Auditorium mit schwarzem Samt zu verhängen? Das muss doch unheimlich Schall schlucken. Deswegen klingt das auch so seltsam gedämpft.
Lieber Quotenwagnerianer!
Als Semyon Bychkov unser Chefdirigent war gab es eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem WDR Fernsehen bei der alle Schostakowitsch Sinfonien aufgezeichnet wurden. Das Regiekonzept wurde vom Fernsehen erarbeitet - aus bildästhetischen Gründen war es so beabsichtigt, dass der Saal schwarz ausgehängt wird. Das bringt natürlich veränderte akustische Verhältnisse, aber selbstverständlich wurde das mit Tonmeister, Orchestermanagement und Semyon Bychkov vorab abgestimmt. Ob die Aufnahme gefällt, entscheiden die Hörer:innen dann ganz individuell :) Viele Grüße vom WDR Sinfonieorchester
55:34
Кто играет 1-ю скрипку?
Na JA... ! "Das ist kein Rio de Janeiro, das ist bedeutend schlechter !"...
Shostakovich was an edgelord, I say it in the nicest way possible. His music is really good, but every piece oozes anguish and torment.
WBJC is playing inferior Canadian music today because it's Canada Day. All music is inferior to German and Italian music, with honorable mention to Russian music.
A fantastic performance spoilt by gimmicky video directing
I love the editing, also its free so hush.
@@dfdhgtrss212
Michael Thoseby is entitled to his opinion.and doesn’t need to “hush.”
Ending is like in slow-motion, not a good performance
Not enough instruments playing and certainly not load enough
The coda is hideously slow and mannered. There is some lazy conducting throughout.
2 years on and being haunted by this performance I have to say that I was careless. There are some untidy bits but Bychkov grabbed this work and found its core.
A man should have the guts to say he was wrong.
The slower approach to the post climax remainder of the work really helps to dig deep and the forces under great direction make this very special.
I could do without the artsy-fartsy videography.
The influence of Gustav Mahler‘s genius is obvious. It’s a fantastic symphony 👏👏👏
We're glad that you like it 😊
21:14