Solti came late in life to the music of Shostakovich, and in his introduction to the recording of the Thirteenth Symphony (reprinted in the booklet) explains the music's effect on him. These rare recordings have long been out of the catalogue, and are now issued as a 2CD set at super-budget price. Sergei Aleksashkin is the commanding bass in the Thirteenth and in the Mussorgsky songs, and Sir Anthony Hopkins intersperses Yevtushenko poems in this unique recording.(... information source : buywell.com ...)

Track Listing

Disc 1:

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

1. Babi Yar
2. I Adagio: Babi Yar
3. Humour
4. II Allegretto: Humour
5. In the Store
6. Fears
7. A Career
8. III Adagio: in the Store
9. IV Largo: Fears
10. V Allegretto: A Career

Disc 3:

Disc 4:

1. 'Khovanshchina' Prelude (orch. Rimsky-Korsakov) - Songs and Dances of Death (orch. Shostakovich)
2. I Kalbel'naja (Lullaby)
3. II Serenada (Serenade)
4. III Trepak
5. IV Palkavodets (The Field Marshall)

Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141

1. I Allegretto
2. II Adagio - Largo - Adagio - Largo
3. III Allegretto
4. IV Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto