Georgii Sviridov (1) (1915–1998)

At the time I bought this CD, I was looking for a performance of Shostakovich's 'The Execution of Stepan Razin' to supersede my LP version. This wasn't it. It's a pretty pedestrian performance by Bulgarian performers. It is coupled with Sviridov's 'Oratorio Pathetique', which is a setting of Bolshevik-era Myakovsky poems, and it goes on and on and on... Some glittering forces might have rescued the piece, but in this performance it's a turgid and dull piece of agitprop. On a good day, Shostakovich was quite capable of turning out a Socialist classic, but this performance of his pupil's work - considered a little-known masterpiece of choral writing - doesn't come anywhere near that category.… (plus d'informations)