**** Excellent Album

Performance ****      Recording *****

“… John Storgårds gets a clear sense of direction and some wonderful playing from the BBC Philharmonic, finding a dignity in both main themes [Symphony No 12], encouraging maximum character from bassoon as the first-movement action kicks off, and a handsomeness in the brass ensembles of the Adagio …”

“…the disc is nigh unmissable.”

Outstanding

“… John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic do Shostakovich’s enigmatic, macabre, and profoundly deep, final … with shattering/exorcising climaxes in the second and final movements, and a nightmarish-fantastical world created in the first … gripping and intense here, and then the slow second that might be heard as a funeral oration, featuring baleful (wide interval) cello solos …”

Performance *****      Sonics (Multichannel) *****

“…Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic give a compelling and trenchant account of the piece [Sym No. 12], fully embracing the cinematic aspects of the score as well as its symphonic dimension… Storgård’s account of the score [Sym No. 15]is taut and well focused. He has a firm grip on the structure of each movement with speeds that allow appreciation of the many fine individual solos (especially those from trombone, violin and cello). As in the previous work the orchestral playing is absolutely riveting – coherent, precise and full of rhythmic energy – in a manner that clearly cements this orchestra’s position as one of the finest in the UK. Once again the recording quality on this 5.0 multi-channel SACD is superb – dynamic, detailed and possessing a soundstage of impressive width and depth…”