What are you listening to? March 2022

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The Best of the Dubliners
The Dubliners - The Best Of - album cover
 
USS State Symphony Orchestra (Evgeny Svetlanov, cond.) - Shostakovich: From Jewish Folk Poetry; The Song Of The Forests (2017)

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A discussion is raging over at the Steve Hoffman Forum about whether we should be listening to Russian music right now. I strongly support the Ukrainians and respect the view of anyone who chooses to observe their own musical boycott. However, for me it is impossible to project today's issues onto a composer who has been dead for nearly 50 years and a conductor gone more than 20. Moreover, both had difficult relationships with the Soviet regime.

These two vocal pieces from the late 1940's have a lot to recommend them, especially From Jewish Poetry with its colorful ethnic melodies. Song Of The Forests is more of an acquired taste. This oratorio was written as a tribute to the reforestation of the steppes under Stalin's "Great Plan For The Transformation Of Nature". Svetlanov does a great job in summoning forth the admittedly stirring celebrative orchestral and vocal energy.

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