The Tapiola Sinfonietta under Kantorow has now recorded all four Shostakovich Chamber Symphonies in Barshai’s arrangements. The two on this disc are enlargements of the Third and Fourth String Quartets. While that of the Third Quartet is scored for strings plus a small handful of winds, the Fourth includes a much more substantial complement of winds, brass, and percussion, transforming the piece quite markedly in the process. Barshai’s DG recordings (intermittently available) naturally have a special authority, but these are no less worthy, and if anything the string playing is even more razor-sharp than the Russian conductor gets from the also excellent Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Perhaps Barshai is a touch warmer and more freely expressive in the slow movements, but then Kantorow is positively dazzling in all of the faster music, and he’s got demonstration-quality sound too. I know many listeners who actually prefer these arrangements to the quartet originals, and it’s easy to understand why, when they are performed as persuasively as they are here. [7/5/2005]
