OT: anyone know what's coming next from Andris Nelsons (Bruckner and/or Shosty)?

[barryguerrero]

"Shos,ty the snow man!"   .    .   .  no?   .   .   .  I'm sorry.  Anybody know what the team of Andris Nelsons and DG are releasing next?

[erikwilson7]

I see that we're still in the holiday spirit, haha! Cheers to a new decade!

Anyway... I had been following Nelsons' performance schedule on his website until recently. It shows his entire calendar on there, so that’s pretty cool. I think Bruckner 5 is the next release in that cycle because I know it's already recorded. They just did the 8th in the past couple months, and they either JUST did 1 and 2 or are about to. I forget, it’s been a while since I’ve looked. As for the Shosty cycle I think 1–3 are due out pretty soon, and I think they recently did Babi-Yar. I'm forgetting if they've already recorded 12 and 14, and if I'm remembering correctly they are doing 15 soon.

I also think a Mahler cycle might be happening soon with Boston. They've done a M5 in the past year, they have that allegedly splendid M2 already on video release, they did a M4 about a month or two ago. They also have a M3 and M1 they performed in the 2017–18 season. Those recordings probably exist somewhere. There's also apparently a live 2015 M6 recording available on Google Music or something: https://www.bso.org/brands/bso/media/classical-live.aspx/MobileContentPage

My guess is Nelsons is either testing the waters with Boston for a Mahler cycle or they might even just release these older recordings. I'm sure as he wraps up this Shostakovich cycle in the next year or two he will move onto his next big symphonic project. I'd rather he wait another 10 or 20 years to record a fully mature Mahler cycle, but Boston is overdue for some new Mahler recordings especially because of how great they sound now with their Shostakovich. Not that that directly translates to great Mahler, but maybe you see my point.

[barryguerrero]

Thank you, Eric. A Bruckner 5 with those people could be really good. Bruckner 8 is always tricky.

I wouldn't be too sure about the Mahler. If Google Music has taken one of them, I would a bet that they take the whole cycle. I can't imagine DG would be anxious to jump into a whole 'nother Mahler cycle, but you never know. I certainly agree about the quality of the BSO.

[erikwilson7]

So it’s finally happening. Bruckner 2 and 8, with Wagner’s Meistersinger prelude.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8862910--bruckner-symphonies-nos-8-2-wagner-meistersinger-prelude

Feb. 5, 2021

This leaves just 1 and 5 to be paired together someday.

[barryguerrero]

I think I'd rather have his 1 and 5. As for B8, I still haven't received a CD yet for the Thielemann/V.P.O. B8 that I ordered two months ago.

[akiralx]

Bruckner 2 may be my favourite - if you don't know it I highly recommend the inexpensive Arte Nova recording with Wakasugi conducting the Saarbrucken Radio SO.

[ChrisH]

Here is an interesting read on the recording process of the BSO Shosty recordings:
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2016/04/22/bso-recordings

[barryguerrero]

A 15th with the BSO could be really good. I don't really care about S12, 13 or  14 (13 is OK). I know I should, but I just don't. I think the 15th was a huge breakthrough. I certainly don't care about either S2 or S3 either. It's funny they haven't addressed S4 yet. It's so typical of DG these days to just give up.

[ChrisH]

Oddly enough, just last night I listened to S2&3. Now, I'm not too crazy about a lot of S's works, but I felt that these 2 symphonies are very interesting as  precursors to his later stuff. His experimentation was very interesting in how he used the percussion and brass, and even the nice clarinet trio in the 3rd. He seems to go much farther harmonically with these, too. However, this may not be the case as I'm not very fluent in theory. They sound more like Berg, than S.

I was listening to Kitajenko with Gurzenich.

[erikwilson7]

Finally we get to hear more from Nelsons/Boston in Shostakovich. 1, 14, 15, and the chamber symphony all in one release coming out late June.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8908331--shostakovich-symphonies-nos-1-14-15-chamber-symphony

This makes me think the final release—whenever that will be—could end up being 2, 3, 12, and 13 as a double CD.

2, 3, AND 12 altogether? That’s bold.

[barryguerrero]

Thanks for the update. I thought their release of S6/S7 was terrific. I already have several really good recordings of S15. I don't care much for S14, even though I know I should.

[erikwilson7]

It's funny, I'm the same way. Some say S14 is his Das Lied, but I just can't get into it. I appreciate it for what it is though. I'm the same way with the famous Babi Yar; I know it's good but it just doesn't appeal to me.

[barryguerrero]

I like the big tam-tam smashes in "Babi Yar", but I'm not crazy about the entire work either. It's weird that I'm like this, because Shostakovich was my first musical hero when I was young. I knew ALL the Shosty symphonies before I ever heard one note of Mahler.

[erikwilson7]

That's interesting. Do you have any favorite Shosty symphonies? Mine are 4, 6, 8, and 15.

I got into Shostakovich BECAUSE of Mahler. While researching Mahler near the beginning of my exposure to his music, I stumbled upon DH's Mahler book and then his Shostakovich book, which then helped me really understand those works. I learn a work best by first understanding its structure, and Hurwitz does that really well in his listener guides.

[barryguerrero]

I would add S7 and S10 to your list, in terms of my favorites. On a second tier would be 1,5,9, 11 and 13. On a third level would be 2,3,12 and 14.