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Regarding Terry Barfoot's review of the Shostakovich 4th, not a word about Jarvi's classic?
Posted by Jim on September 23, 2025, 2:01 am Edited by board administrator September 23, 2025, 3:30 am
I understand that a reviewer can't hear and digest everything, but the 4th is relatively rare. I also understand that the review in question is drawn from the archives.
Personally, I find Wigglesworth's 4th relatively tame and soft-edged. No sense of shock or audacity, which Jarvi and the fantastic Scottish National deliver in spades. They get it. Heck, even Nelsons' with his cushy Boston Phil is more ... texturally- intriguing.
I was indeed sold on Wigglesworth's Shosty 11th, (until Berglund's was re-released).
In closing, (as the Reverend used to say), if we're looking for winners in the Europeanized African Bee Category, we already have the Haitink/Concertgebouw 4th.
Re: Regarding Terry Barfoot's review of the Shostakovich 4th, not a word about Jarvi's classic?
Personal taste is a strange and wonderful thing! I like the Wigglesworth very much for its clear structure and direction and dislike the Jarvi as too rough edged (interpretation and playing, although the latter may well have been deliberate). Nelsons I find very involving and the "cushy" sound is a true representation of the Boston acoustic. One I return to. Kondrashin is HC, Ormandy is always overlooked unfairly I think. Berglund's 11th we can agreee is quite wonderful!!
Previous Message
I understand that a reviewer can't hear and digest everything, but the 4th is relatively rare. I also understand that the review in question is drawn from the archives.
Personally, I find Wigglesworth's 4th relatively tame and soft-edged. No sense of shock or audacity, which Jarvi and the fantastic Scottish National deliver in spades. They get it. Heck, even Nelsons' with his cushy Boston Phil is more ... texturally- intriguing.
I was indeed sold on Wigglesworth's Shosty 11th, (until Berglund's was re-released).
In closing, (as the Reverend used to say), if we're looking for winners in the Europeanized African Bee Category, we already have the Haitink/Concertgebouw 4th.
Re: Regarding Terry Barfoot's review of the Shostakovich 4th, not a word about Jarvi's classic?
Always good to read your views on the MessageBoard.
I have not read Terry's deja-review on the Wigglesworth, instead (at your instigation) turned to a Conspectus I wrote for a now defunct website around ten years ago that considered some thirty recordings of this magnificent symphony. This is what I wrote about the Wigglesworth recording at the time:
Similar qualities inform Mark Wigglesworth's recording on BIS. Whilst the Netherlands RSO isn't quite in the same class as Jansons' Bavarians, the BIS recording though is considerably better than EMI. Wigglesworth's interpretation is thoughtful like Jansons, symphonic like Haitink and slow like Rostropovich in London. He is also able to bring more structural logic to the first movement than any other conductor, even if this is achieved at the expense of some of the frenetic danger that others bring to the party. I can therefore well imagine this being an attractive proposition to certain listeners and I have to respect Wigglesworth's decision to go against the trend with his views on the work, but again this isn't what I personally seek in my ideal recording of the work
My conclusions did though include the Jarvi/SNO recording you mention as one of the top nominations, if not the absolute top recommendation.
Seeing that it is Shostakovich's anniversary year, I have decided to blow off the cobwebs from this article and update it so that it can be published on MWI in the next couple of months, to give me time to include recordings from the last ten years, including the Nelsons/BSO where I am once again in agreement with your own conclusion. I am therefore curious to know if you would agree with my own top nomination !
Best wishes,
Lee
Previous Message
I understand that a reviewer can't hear and digest everything, but the 4th is relatively rare. I also understand that the review in question is drawn from the archives.
Personally, I find Wigglesworth's 4th relatively tame and soft-edged. No sense of shock or audacity, which Jarvi and the fantastic Scottish National deliver in spades. They get it. Heck, even Nelsons' with his cushy Boston Phil is more ... texturally- intriguing.
I was indeed sold on Wigglesworth's Shosty 11th, (until Berglund's was re-released).
In closing, (as the Reverend used to say), if we're looking for winners in the Europeanized African Bee Category, we already have the Haitink/Concertgebouw 4th.
Previous Message