Shostakovich - Symphony 12 [Haitink-Concertgebouw Orchestra]Well here's the Twelfth Symphony by Shostakovich, last month i talked about my listening experience of the Sixth Symphony [29th October 2010], both these Symphonies seem to be neglected by me, and i really need to branch out from the Fifth and the Tenth that i know so well, my project is to get to know the Fourth a lot better, i want this to be my discovery in the coming year.
The twelfth of Shostakovich doesn't stand out from the pack of the fifteen, like others do, it's a fairly average member of his Symphonic oeuvre, and it takes more familiarity to find its individual voice, something i'm still trying to discover, at the other end of the spectrum, it's always a Symphony that is a solid good listening experience.
On this listen i found the third movement Aurora to be tremendously exciting, it starts off ominous and brooding, with the offbeat of the timpani, and when those pizzicato strings come in [0:07+] fantastic!, embellished by the timpani with some odd meter beats, the woodwind come in [0:46+], and then the brass [1:19+], slowly it builds up in layers, the tam tam nicely rolls in low [1:31+], and then the low strings start off a new build up [2:04+], which the low growling brass join in [2:13+], it slowly builds up to frenzy, then it explodes into ecstasy [3:00+], a truly glorious moment of exultation!, but there's even better to come as the timpani and side drum hammer out a rhythm so gut wrenching [3:20+] this has got to be the very best point of this movement, and then the whole thing goes berserk [3:25 & 3:32], and comes to a crescendo to usher in the fourth movement without a break, there's no time to even take an almighty intake of breath, it's a glorious small movement [4 minutes], sandwiched between two much bigger movements, i feel quite overwhelmed by this experience.
Here's Gustavo Dudamel conducting the third movement on YouTube, especially notice the moment the timpani hammer away! [3:11+], incredible!.
