Sym.5: Eschenbach / Philadelphia O +7 Romances: Naef(Ms)

The latest newcomer in the successful recording series with The Philadelphia Orchestra and its Music Director Christoph Eschenbach features Dmitri Shostakovich’s perennially popular Fifth Symphony. The Largo movement – one of the most heartrendingly beautiful slow movements written by the composer – and the bombastic Finale provide for an entrancing super audio listening experience with the world-renowned sound of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Officially viewed as “the practical creative reply of a Soviet artist to just criticism,” this symphony was the Russian composer’s mid-career coup - after his music had been politically attacked, he got back into the good graces of both communist officials and the public, who stood and cheered its première in 1937. An added bonus of this CD is the spellbinding song cycle Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok’ (1880–1921), making this unusual coupling a unique release with a strong sales point; Christoph Eschenbach accompanies on piano the acclaimed mezzo-soprano Yvonne Naef and two members of the The Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Philadelphia Orchestra deservedly takes pride in its long and triumphant association with the music of Shostakovich, beginning with the U.S. premiere of his First Symphony in 1928, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. In fact, through 1973 the Orchestra gave the U.S. and Western premieres of seven of the composer’s symphonies variously, as well as the First Cello Concerto, the First Piano Concerto, and the Five Pieces for Small Orchestra. Since Leopold Stokowski led the first Philadelphia performances of the Fifth Symphony in March 1939, the Orchestra has performed the work many times, as well as featured it on domestic and international tours, including performances in Russia under Eugene Ormandy in 1958.
This disc should build on the huge success of five previous releases under the “formidable Ondine/Eschenbach/Philadelphia partnership”.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 (52:28)
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok, Op.127(25:37)
Yvonne Naef, mezzo-soprano
Juliette Kang, violin*
Hai-Ye Ni, cello*
Christoph Eschenbach, piano
*members of The Philadelphia Orchestra

SACD Hybrid
CD Stereo/ SACD Stereo/ SACD 5.0ch.