Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 'Babi Yar'

This beautifully engineered studio recording under Kirill Karabits has all the necessary adrenaline to keep the listener fully engaged. Karabits is particularly effective in negotiating the tricky... — BBC Music Magazine, September 2020, (Performance) / (Recording) More…

Release Date: 24th Jul 2020
Catalogue No: PTC5186618
Label: Pentatone
Length: 58 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

17th July 2020

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Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar'

58:09

$15.00

$18.00

$26.25

Oleg Tsibulko (bass)
The Choir of the Popov Academy of Choral Art, Kozhevnikov Choir, Russian National Orchestra
Kirill Karabits

I. Babi Yar. Adagio

15:17

$4.00

$4.80

$7.00

II. Humour. Allegretto

7:30

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

III. In the Store. Adagio

11:45

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

IV. Fears. Largo

11:07

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

V. A Career. Allegretto

12:30

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

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Recording of the Week, Shostakovich from Kirill Karabits, Oleg Tsibulko and the Russian National Orchestra

17th July 2020

A new recording of Shostakovich's complex 'Babi Yar' symphony with bass Oleg Tsibulko gets to the heart of a work that's often seen as all politics and no emotion.

The Russian National Orchestra continues its Shostakovich cycle with Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar, together with bass Oleg Tsibulko, the Popov Academy of Choral Arts Choir, the Kozhevnikov choir and maestro Kirill Karabits. Inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem Babi Yar about a Nazi massacre of Jews just outside Kiev in 1941, Shostakovich based the Symphony on five of the author's poems. The texts reflect on the peculiarities of daily existence in Stalinist Russia, providing a deep insight into life under Soviet reign. After the sombre, impressive opening movement, Shostakovich alternates between a satirical stance, humour, and portraying the hardships of the Stalinist reality, leading up to the innocent beauty of the symphony's finale. One special aspect of this recording is the Russian National Orchestra's collaboration with an Ukrainian bass soloist and conductor, underlining the shared cultural and political heritage of both countries. The Russian National Orchestra is among the most important orchestras in the world and has a vast, multi-award-winning PENTATONE discography. Kirill Karabits features on Tchaikovsky Treasures (2019) with Guy Braunstein and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Oleg Tsibulko, the Popov Academy of Choral Arts Choir and the Kozhevnikov choir all make their PENTATONE debut.

Reviews

September 2020

This beautifully engineered studio recording under Kirill Karabits has all the necessary adrenaline to keep the listener fully engaged. Karabits is particularly effective in negotiating the tricky changes of tempo in the opening ‘Babi Ya’ movement and ensures that the tension is sustained right to the very end.

The orchestral playing astounds at every turn, the choral singing beyond reproach. Even more important, the narrative thread, apt to stretch and sometimes break, is preserved, Karabits in full control to the very end.

17th July 2020

Notwithstanding the Ukrainian on the podium, this performance strikes me as a particularly Russian-spirited one. The emotional commitment from all concerned is palpable; Yevtushenko’s dissenting texts need to be heard as much now as they did in the 1960s, and Tsibulko and Karabits are more than capable of imbuing them with weight and urgency.

26th July 2020

It’s a huge, brooding piece, with flashes of dark humour in the scherzo, and a wistful skewering of Soviet careerists in the finale, superbly sung and played.

31st July 2020

The performance has the authenticity and depth expected from the Kiev-born conductor Kirill Karabits, Oleg Tsibulko (bass), the Russian National Orchestra and two Russian choirs...Karabits controls this grim feast masterfully well.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 'Babi Yar'

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Recording of the Week, Shostakovich from Kirill Karabits, Oleg Tsibulko and the Russian National Orchestra