Shostakovich: The Jazz Album (1993)

It's too bad that Riccardo Chailly and the Concertgebouw haven't recorded more Shostakovich (perhaps because Haitink did), since this project is pretty winning. As several other reviewers have noted, however, the term "jazz" here is a bit of a misnomer. Some of the music is lighter than usual for the composer, but anyone expecting to find even as much as what Bernstein created in his "jazz moments" is likely to be a bit disappointed. But never mind, the recording is superb. Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 1," for piano, trumpet and strings, is one of his most wittily engaging works, and Ronald Brautigam (piano) and Peter Masseurs (trumpet) sound wonderful. The final movement is fairly hilarious, despite a somewhat introspective middle movement that precedes it. The second of the two "Jazz Suites" has the dark little waltz made famous by its appearance in Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut." (This is the very recording used in the film.) As if all this weren't enough, the concert closes with the composer's hilarious take on "Tea for Two" called "Tahiti Trot." Its sparkling insouciance is a gentle reminder that despite the composer's anguish and pain, he still had wit to spare. Terrific playing, terrific sound, and lovely cover art, too. One of Chailly's best, most imaginative recordings with this orchestra. -- @ amazon.com