Shostakovich 7 is my favorite

As a music student, I found a record of Shostakovich's concerto op 35 for piano, trumpet and string orchestra in our music library. It was already an old recording with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein with Maurice Andre trumpet and Andre Previn piano. I don't know how well that recording has aged but to me at the time, with no other references, it was amazing!

I discovered Shostakovich in college because I was a history student and read about his suppression by Stalin and was intrigued. At the time they didn’t play him much on the radio nor did my parents seem to listen to him much, but they did have Karajan’s first recording of the 10th which I borrowed. I was instantly hooked. What’s important to get across is that while I grew up with classical music in the house, in typical kid fashion I rejected it as my parents music and embraced rock growing up. It was only after I left home, started missing classical music and started collecting the basics. Shostakovich was one of the first composers outside of the core (late baroque through mid romantic) that really expanded my horizons and I’ve loved him ever since. I’d never heard anything quite like it before, particularly the whirlwind second movement. Still my favorite of his symphonies.

Shostakovich is very personal to me because he was the first classical composer I really got into. As a young man in his late teens and early 20s, I found his music to be full of humanity, irony, comedy, anger, excitement and anxiety. Its universality of emotions appealed to me because when you're young your emotions are so varied. I loved seeing him as a composer who struggled with the historical times he lived in but his music responds to it in such a beautiful manner.

Aged 21, I was thumbing through the LP records in an Edinburgh chemist and department store called Boots. I had loved the only symphony recording my family had at the time (Dvorak's New World). For all I knew, ALL symphonies might be just as great and I picked out one randomly, bearing a washed our sepia picture of a Russian cathedral. On playing it, at first I was disappointed at its gloominess, but I am Scottish and had paid five pounds for it. As I persisted in listening with a completely innocent ear, I soon understood that I had discovered the music of a genius. It was Shostakovich's Eighth.

My first hearing was the fifth. Completely bowled me over. Had never listened to anything that expressed such deep human emotion. The numbness of sorrow, suffering, and terror of the largo was something I had never heard. So far from the triumphant tradition. His 8th symphony absolutely wears my soul out to listen to beginning to end. I only do it once in a while, but it is one of my favorite favorite symphonies. So horribly powerful. But, the fifth completely changed my idea of what a symphony is.

once upon a time....a record bought at a low price ($3.99 can) at sam the record man in montreal, with very nice photos of kmemlin.....shostakovitch symphonies no 5, kondrashine, angel, melodya, I listened to this composer who was unknown to me .... I was struck by the strength and energy of the music. I liked it.

I also started in band playing french horn and loving the Festive Overture and Finale of 5th. I went on to be a professional basso opera singer, so, the 13th and the songs and Michelangelo Lieder, of course hooked me. And the greatness of Shostakovich carrying the Soul of Russia

I had never been greatly fond of Shostokovich. Yeah, that Fifth Symphony "grabbed" me as a kid, but being somewhat adverse to gigantism in music, I never have followed the symphonies very much. However, I loved "Age of Gold" ballet and when I discovered not just the suite, but the whole, very absorbing ballet, I just flipped. It's one of my favourite dance works now. There is more to Shostokovich than the symphonies.

The story that Shostakovich rebelled against Stalin with his music triggered my interest, especialy with his fifth Symphony. Apparently he left his fourth Symphony in a draw until the guy was dead. Still my favourite work of Shostakovich🎶

I was unfortunate enough to borrow the 2nd symphony from the library. After that I avoided him. Right up until I bought a CD with violin sonatas by Schnittke. But the sonata by Shostakovich quickly won my heart. After that I was a fan forever.

I recall a trip many years ago, in the early 1960's, when I was in about the 9th or 10th grade. We visited a friend of my brother-in law. I was already interested in classical music, but had not yet heard anything by Shostakovich. In one afternoon, we listened to both the 6th and 7th Symphonies. I very much preferred the 6th, and still do. And on top of that, I also heard my first Mahler: his Symphony, # 4. One afternoon opened up whole new worlds that I have been exploring ever since.

I just recently fount out about Shostakovich, I was on a train ride from Valencia to Cadiz Spain, and I was listening to the violin concerto 1. And some how I felt anger, despair, and utterly sadness and I did not realize when the tears were coming out only when I keep wiping them out and couldn't understand why? So I did listen to the 5th. But it didn't have that powerful emotion as other people describe. But the quartets... Those are what I'm coming back. To Shostakovich. Also found the waltz #2 so beautifully endearing.

Great story! I first heard Shostakovich's Waltz No. 2 because it plays over the credits of Kubrick's last film, "Eyes Wide Shut." It stayed with me. When the pandemic hit, I had sometime on my hands and decided to investigate further. After reading his Wikipedia entry, I decided to listen to all 15 of his symphonies. In one night I heard Symphony No. 10, No. 8, and No. 5. After that I was hooked and I'm still listening. It's been great to have Dave's videos to accompany me on this journey.

Three events, and I remember them as vividly as if they happened yesterday, yet I cannot be sure about their particular time order. I heard the second cello concerto with Heinrich Schiff and the Prague Symphony... and was thrilled. I heard the symphony No 10 in a concert of the Czech Phil... and it was even more gripping. Finally, I bought an LP of his Suite on verses of Michelangelo Buonarotti with Yevgenii Nestyerenko... it was an LP pressed in Russia but packaged for the Czech market and it had the verses printed on the cover... and I almost destroyed it, as I played it so many times.... I was hooked forever.

I discovered Shostakovich in a very similar way. Growing up in Port Jefferson l played Baritone horn from 3rd grade to 12th grade. Never could read music and played my ear for the most part. In high be school our music teacher, Mr. Neubert gave us a transcription of the 5th symphony, probably the final movement that you talked about. I enjoyed playing the piece but didn’t know it was by Shostakovich until much later. After hearing the whole symphony played with Haitink conducting l said,”hey, l played that in band. I always wished that Mr Neubert told us about the piece and some of the history connected to it.

I first encountered Shostakovich when I was subscribed to the Time-Life History of Music Series. One of the 4 LP sets had a recording of "The Execution of Stenka Razin." I was hooked.

I first heard Shostakovich's Piano Concerto in the early 70's. It was written for his own son, Maxim, which I remember was the name of a brand of coffee at the time. My recording was with Leonard Bernstein playing the solo part AND conducting as well. It is wonderful music and a great intro to this composer.

It was late on a starry summer night in Spain, listening to the local classical radio while writing an experimental novel. (I was thirteen at the time, and I was the kind of kid who thought writing an experimental novel or an uncommercial concept song cycle was how vacations ought to be spent). At some point they started playing Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and fugues, the whole set. I began recording it on a cassette midway through the first prelude. I was mesmerized by it, and for a couple of years that's all I knew of Shostakovich. The next work I came across was Lady Macbeth (simply because I really liked Macbeth), and the first symphony I listened to was "Babi Yar", because the title resembled Baba Yaga. And since I liked the ELP's LP of the Pictures, which was how I discovered Mussorgsky, I thought Babi Yar would be some kind of of surreal, symphonic fantasy piece. Not really. So that's how I learned about Babi Yar (at age 15). I wasn't in a hurry to listen to the others, after that. But eventually, I did

The brilliant Cohen brothers movie 'Raising Arizona' features a 'blue-grass' arrangement of the finale of Beethoven's Ninth - and it's great ;)