Shostakovich: Symphonies, Vol. 5 - Symphonies Nos 1 & 3

"This series… is developing into something really special. These RLPO Shostakovich recordings withstand comparisons with some of the greatest performances on disc." Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times

This is the fifth disc in Vasily Petrenko's Shostakovich fantastic cycle, which is continuing to take critics by storm.

Shostakovich's First Symphony propelled the teenage composer to international prominence, its emotional range and innovative orchestration marking him as a daring and precocious talent on the scene.

The Third Symphony, 'The First of May', originally intended as part of a symphonic cycle inspired by dates on the revolutionary calendar, has been described as 'a reckless and at times chaotic accommodation between modernist intent and revolutionary fervour'.

"even more than on their previous Shostakovich discs, the playing is fabulously crisp and committed, while the interpretations combine atmosphere and a sense of proportion - much to the benefit of the youthful First, which receives an eerily effective performance, free of exaggeration." Financial Times Five Stars

"Every young composer needs the sensitive skill of Vasily Petrenko to join the dots of fits-and-starts inspiration, and I've never been more convinced by the whole, rather than just the isolated gestures, of the teenage Shostakovich's First Symphony. You hear more than ever how prophetic it is of things to come" BBC Music Five Stars

"in the First Symphony, besides rapier-like flair and precision, there's a reflective streak behind the passionate lyricism that beautifully brings out the music's Tchaikovsky connection...This latest installment in Petrenko's Shostakovich cycle with the RLPO more than maintains the superb standard they've set already." ClassicFM