Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 / Bernstein

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; BERNSTEIN

This live recording is very close in spirit and execution to Bernstein’s famous 1959 Shostakovich 5th with the New York Philharmonic, a performance that has been, at least for me and many others from older generations, a benchmark recording in this sometimes problematic symphony. Bernstein hits the mark, both in this live LSO performance and in his 1959 effort. This black-and-white video presentation offers a decent visual account of this performance, despite a grainy quality to the film, and mono sound that is quite good for its day. There are a few minor flubs from the orchestra (the horns weren’t at their best), but execution is reasonably good. The 1959 Bernstein performance is better, but not vastly so. Those interested in video and in Bernstein will certainly want this historic account.

Price: $28.98