The Complete Shostakovich Symphonies:

Unparalleled, Unforgettable

8.501111
11CDs | Boxed set
Dmitry Shostakovich’s cycle of fifteen symphonies stands as one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century. From the brilliance of his youthful First Symphony to the final ironic statement of the Fifteenth, Shostakovich’s symphonies encapsulate the Soviet experience, the music transcending public pressures in order to express the deepest of personal responses to life, death, and everything in between. International acclaim for Vasily Petrenko’s recorded cycle has put it at the vanguard of a noble history for these enduring masterpieces.
Watch the video trailer, in which Vasily Petrenko reflects on the incredible journey of recording the complete cycle of Shostakovich’s symphonies.

“I’ve enjoyed all of Petrenko’s Shostakovich releases thus far – when it is complete, I predict that this will be among the very best Shostakovich cycles on the market.”
Fanfare

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The Artists

Vasily PetrenkoRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraHuddersfield Choral SocietyGal JamesAlexander Vinogradov

Vasily Petrenko was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006 and in 2009 became Chief Conductor. He is also Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the Classical BRIT Awards Male Artist of the Year 2010 and 2012, and works regularly with many of the world’s finest orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Russian National, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras, and the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Recordings with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra include Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony [Naxos 8.570568] (2009 Classic FM/Gramophone Orchestral Recording of the Year) and other orchestral works, Elgar’s Symphony No. 1, Shostakovich’s complete symphonies, and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, Symphonies and complete Piano Concertos.
After completing her studies at the the opera studio of the Staatsoper Berlin, Israeli soprano Gal James joined Oper Graz where her repertoire has included the title rôle in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, Chrysothemis in Strauss’s Elektra, Eva in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust and Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. On the concert platform highlights have included the Vier letzte Lieder of Richard Strauss with the Oslo Philharmonic and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestras, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14 with the Sinfonieorchester St Gallen and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Bochumer Symphony Orchestra. Gal James has worked with renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Seiji Ozawa, Neeme Järvi, Steven Sloane, Julien Salemkour, Vasily Petrenko, Riccardo Chailly, Ion Marin, Dan Ettinger and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
Alexander Vinogradov made his début at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow at the age of 21. Since then he has established a remarkable career and has won numerous prizes in international singing competitions. Mr. Vinogradov is a regular guest at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and he has also performed with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Dresden Semperoper, Teatro Teresa Carreño, Caracas, Opera Bastille Paris, Palau de les Arts, Valencia, Teatro Real Madrid, Opera National de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet, the City of London Festival, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Ravinia Festival, Baltimore Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, just to name a few.
Founded in 1836, Huddersfield Choral Society has an international reputation as the UK’s leading choral society, producing a unique and thrilling full-bodied ‘Huddersfield Sound’ from over 200 voices. The repertoire includes both oratorio and religious music, contemporary and commissioned works. The Society’s busy schedule is centred on its own subscription concert season in Huddersfield Town Hall, including of course annual performances of Messiah. The choir also visits other major concert halls in the UK and abroad, regularly broadcasts for BBC radio and television, and has a long history of pioneering recordings.
The award-winning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is the UK’s oldest continuing professional symphony orchestra, dating from 1840. Vasily Petrenko was appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra in September 2006 and in September 2009 became Chief Conductor. The orchestra gives over sixty concerts each season in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and tours widely throughout the UK and internationally. In recent seasons world première performances have included major works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Sir John Tavener, alongside works by Liverpool-born composers including John McCabe, Emily Howard and Mark Simpson.
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    8.572082 – Symphony No. 11 ‘The Year 1905’ (Vol. 1)

    “pretty terrific on all counts” – ClassicsToday.com

    “it simply leaves me speechless” – American Record Guide

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  • 8.572167 – Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 (Vol. 2)
    “Vasily Petrenko is an outstanding Shostakovich conductor, as attentive to small details as he is to larger issues of structure and balance... A terrific performance.” – ClassicsToday.com
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    8.572392 – Symphony No. 8 (Vol. 3)
    “Vasily Petrenko’s cycle of Shostakovich symphonies on Naxos continues to impress ...This recording joins the Mravinsky and the Slatkin/Saint Louis as a top recommendation.” – Fanfare
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    8.572461 – Symphony No. 10 (Vol. 4)
    “Thrilling, perfect, essential—a magnificent achievement and hands down the modern reference recording” – ClassicsToday.com
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    8.572396 – Symphony No. 1 • Symphony No. 3 ‘The First of May’ (Vol. 5)
    “This latest instalment in Petrenko’s Shostakovich cycle with the RLPO more than maintains the superb standard they’ve set already.” – Classic FM
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    8.572658 – Symphony No. 6 • Symphony No. 12 ‘The Year 1917’ (Vol. 6)
    “Vasily Petrenko leads a first movement that beats just about everyone in terms of sheer excitement… Through it all the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic plays splendidly, and is excellently recorded. This Shostakovich series is shaping up as one of the best, make no mistake.” – ClassicsToday.com
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    8.572708 – Symphony No. 2 ‘To October’ • Symphony No. 15 (Vol. 7)
    “another splendid release in an exceptional cycle.” – International Record Review
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    8.573057 – Symphony No. 7 ‘Leningrad’ (Vol. 8)

    “Fresh, beautifully phrased and vividly recorded” – BBC Music Magazine

    “Petrenko will keep you riveted from first note to last”
    International Record Review

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    8.573188 – Symphony No. 4 (Vol. 9)
    “Perhaps the best of Petrenko’s much-praised cycle, then, and a strong contender for ‘best in catalogue’.” – Gramophone
    PLAY ON
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    8.573132 – Symphony No. 14 (Vol. 10)
    “I have been impressed with this issue, for it is technically superbly recorded and the performance has an integrity that is most admirable…The orchestral playing…is extremely fine throughout.” – International Record Review
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  • Listen to Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 – II. Humour
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    8.573218 – Symphony No. 13 ‘Babi Yar’ (Vol. 11)
    “…this is an excellent performance – truly competitive with some of the benchmark recordings.” – American Record Guide
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  • 8.572082
  • 8.572167
  • 8.572392
  • 8.572461
  • 8.572396
  • 8.572658
  • 8.572708
  • 8.573057
  • 8.573188
  • 8.573132
  • 8.573218