Shostakovich award for Andris Nelsons

Shostakovich award for Andris Nelsons

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norman lebrecht

March 04, 2019

The Boston and Leipzig music director has been awarded the annual prize of the International Shostakovich Days at Gohrisch in eastern Germany.

He recently notched up two Grammys for the latest release in his Boston DSCH cycle.

Comments

  • Been Here Before says:

    Nelsons is not my favorite conductor, but with Shostakovich he nails it most of the time. A well earned award!

    • Tromba in F says:

      Agreed. The BSO plays wonderfully for him and the Shostakovich recordings are fantastic.

    • Karl says:

      I look forward to more Shostakovitch from him. I wish his Mahler was half as good as his Shostakovitch.

      • Max Grimm says:

        If I may copy and paste your post with one modification…
        I look forward to more Shostakovitch from him. I wish his [Bruckner] was half as good as his Shostakovitch.

      • NYMike says:

        They (BSO) did a blazing performance of Mahler 5th last season @ Carnegie.

  • Emanuele Passerini says:

    probably one of the most interesting Shostakovich interpretations among the non-Russian people, and in several things also better than Tzar Gergiev. Well deserved prize!

    • Emanuele Passerini says:

      why 4 people put thumb down..?

    • esfir ross says:

      AN was born and educated in USSR where universal curriculum in Russian language and culture prevail. Shostakovich and Russian music more organic for AN than Bruckner and Brahms. No matter what your ethnic origin-we were bred by great Russian music culture

    • esfir ross says:

      AN studied conducting in Sant-Petersburg conservatory-city of birth of D.Shostakovich that had most tradition for his music. AN’s true product of Russian music education. Don’t call him non-Russian, please.

    • Emanuele Passerini says:

      Ok ok sorry, I just wanted to appreciate Nelsons, not to say anything negative.. actually, regarding Gergiev, I like him a lot in musical terms (less in other things..) and he’s probably the major living reference for any Russian music (much less interesting in Mahler and Brahms). But nice to see that there is someone else who can say much on the same repertoire. I actually like very much Shostakovich complete set of symphonies by Kitajenko and the Gürzenich orchestra of Köln, for my taste is the best contemporary version.

  • Amos says:

    Sorry I realize he is wanted everywhere and his Shostakovich is drawing rave reviews but I don’t understand either. I heard AN interviewed last week on local radio and he clearly admires DT greatly as he compared him with Mozart for composing brilliant works in all categories. Afterward, I listened to the recent AN/BSO recording of the DT 5th followed by a Mravinsky recording with the LPO. AN clearly loves the piece but his need to spotlight everything almost prevented him from getting through the first 30 seconds. The Mravinsky I found nothing less than earth-shattering without drawing attention to himself. Last, I’m tired of his louder and faster approach to virtually everything AN conducts; a recent Brahms 2nd was almost comical at the end. Boston is no doubt fortunate to have him, especially considering the situation the BSO was in post-levine, and he comes across locally as a genuinely engaging musician but I just don’t get the adulation.

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