André Previn’s RCA Shostakovich Fifth with the London Symphony was rightly regarded as one of the finest versions of the LP era, finer overall than his EMI remake in Chicago. It sounds great on this well-remastered CD, and its luster hasn’t dimmed a bit. Built around one of the must hushed and intense versions of the Largo on disc, Previn’s Fifth adheres to the traditional theory of the “happy” finale, and certainly the music is none the worse for that. The LSO plays extremely well, with bravura brass in the outer movements and the same delicate strings that characterize Previn’s Vaughan Williams recordings from the same period. José Serebrier’s characterful rendition of the Hamlet Suite, one of Shostakovich’s best incidental scores, makes an apt and appealing bonus. Definitely worth getting to know.
