Shostakovich: Symphony No 5 Essential Recordings

Essential Recordings

Boston SO/Andris Nelsons
DG 4795201 (two discs)
Part of the 'Under Stalin's Shadow' series, this 2015 live recording is coupled with Symphonies Nos 8 and 9 [HFN review Nov '16].

Concertgebouw/Bernard Haitink
Decca 478 4214
This recording won the 1983 Gramophone award for sound/engineering quality. The coupling here is Symphony No 1 with the LPO.

LSO/André Previn
RCA G0100040094107 (download only)
Available at 44.1kHz/16-bit only, this first version is musically more satisfying than their 1977 EMI remake (now a Warner download).

NDR Elbphilharmonie/Krzysztof Urbanski
Alpha ALPHA427
The young Polish conductor pulls out all the stops but clearly understands the underlying intent of the music. Excellent sound here.

NYPO/Leonard Bernstein
Sony G010003710797N (download only)
Numerous reissues are listed – all download only, apart from the £97 'Symphony Edition' CDs, although Amazon may still have stock.

Philadelphia Orch/Eugene Ormandy
Dutton 2CDLX7370 (two SACDs)
This is the later, preferable recording from 1975. It was recorded for multichannel (as here) – the US had it as a quadraphonic LP.

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