Those who hold the opinion that Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony is the composer’s worst need look no further for supporting evidence than this drab performance by Roman Kofman and the Bonn Beethoven Orchestra which, whatever its strengths, is no Shostakovich ensemble, lacking both the necessary edge and tonal heft to make his music effective. Worse, the players sound mostly disinterested, as if they were watching television while making this recording. But the ultimate fault must be laid at Kofman’s feet. After a colorless, seemingly interminable first movement, Kofman’s neutered Allegro fails to generate any real tension and makes the battle passages sound like grade-B movie music. The one bright spot is the In Memoriam third movement (the work’s high point), where Kofman appears genuinely connected to the music and evokes much feeling. But that’s all gone come the finale; it’s back to the previous blandness.
You don’t have to insist that this symphony is an unabashedly great work to hear in Paavo Berglund’s classic EMI recording many moments of drama, poignancy, and beauty, while Haitink’s holds the attention through the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s robust textures and tonal allure. Those versions also feature far superior sound to MDG’s uncharacteristically low-level, dynamically limited production–which is unimpressive even as an SACD. You won’t be missing anything by avoiding this one.
