I was fortunate to hear GR conduct this extraordinary work with the BBCSO at the Proms in 1978. I don’t think I’ve been quite the same since.

I remember Rozhdestvensky conducting this piece with the Boston Symphony back in the 1970's and how he picked up the score, turned to the audience and held it up during the applause at the conclusion.

IF ONLY this could be remixed to remove the weird electrical clicks it would be the greatest Shostakovich 4th ever.

Thank you very much for this upload, cis moll! It's a shame we don't have so much of the last period of Maestro Gennady Nikolaievich. Altus released some live recordings (2017) with the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra, but only in Japan (and the CDs cost too much). I don't even understand why the CSO didn't release nothing of his visit in 2016 to replace Muti.

It's a really great performance. It's so powerful and intense, yet so delicate. I am convinced that no one else can achieve such a performance in Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony except Rozhdestvensky.