Conductor John Storgårds pairs Shostakovich's radical youthful Second Symphony with the more assured Fifth in the latest release from the BBC Philharmonic and Chandos. The album contrasts one of the composer's least familiar works with one of his most celebrated, highlighting the evolution from experimental youth to mature power.
The Symphony No 2, commissioned as propaganda for the October Revolution's 10th anniversary, begins with foggy, sliding strings that create an almost pitchless sound effect. It builds into a perpetual motion melee before a klaxon introduces a celebratory chorus. The CBSO Chorus delivers the text brightly, emphasising the work's experimental glee.
The Symphony No 5, written a decade later, demonstrates a different composer altogether. Storgårds avoids the deepest darkness in the first movement but finds power in warming harmonies towards the light. The third movement achieves a compelling stillness, while the finale increases tempo tautly to build tension without flashiness.
Overall, Storgårds emphasises clarity over drama, offering effective performances that illuminate Shostakovich's journey from youthful experimentation to assured symphonic writing.
