Apropos John Quinn's review of the recent ICA issue of Shostakovich’s Symphonies 4 & 11, the former has indeed been available before. It was on a Medici ‘classic archive’ DVD issued about fifteen years ago when it was coupled with Rimsky’s Russian Easter Festival and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Viktoria Postnikova, both recorded at a Prom the following year.

And Rozhdestvensky evidently didn’t change his mind about the tempo of the Eleventh’s third movement (I agree with John – it’s far too fast) since his 1983 studio recording dispatches it in not much more than the present recording – 9’58 according to the disc timing.

I also agree with John that No.11 is a – pace dear Dieter! – a fine work, my introduction to Shostakovich more than sixty years ago and still a favourite!