Vladimir Fedoseyev’s interpretive preferences rarely take in extremes of excitement, and this means that the ferocious second movement of the Tenth Symphony comes off sounding far too tame. It’s not just a question of tempo: Kurt Sanderling has demonstrated that it’s perfectly possible to be slow and terrifying in this music. Here, neither Fedoseyev nor his orchestra have the guts that Shostakovich requires, and the logical consequence of a dull second movement is also a dull finale when the same music returns there. The first movement, though, sounds very impressive: here moderation becomes more of a virtue and takes form in terms of tempos that never drag, and a magnificently paced and phrased central climax. Unfortunately this, plus decent sonics, isn’t enough to earn a recommendation when fabulous performances by Järvi, Rozhdetsvensky, Sanderling, and Karajan (his second version) are more or less readily available. The coupling is irrelevant.
