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This treasure trove of Shostakovich rarities presents four world première recordings.
The music for the film The Girlfriends, newly reconstructed from various original sources including the 1934 soundtrack and a number of recently discovered Preludes, and the scores for the stage productions of Salute to Spain and Rule, Britannia!, come from one of the most fertile and brilliant periods of the composer’s creative life and are almost completely unknown.
The unfinished symphonic movement from 1945, that had lain hidden for more than half a century, turns out to be Shostakovich’s first idea for his Ninth Symphony.
Described by DSCH Journal as “one of the indispensable Shostakovich interpreters of our time”, Mark Fitz-Gerald adds to his highly acclaimed reconstruction of Shostakovich’s music for the ‘sound-silent’ film Odna (Alone), released on Naxos 8570316
Dmitry Shostakovich: Podrugi (Girl Friends), Op. 41a (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Introduction (opening credits)
The Year 1914: The workers' residential block and factory gates
The families wait for the strikers to return
The Inn of the Keys to Happiness
The children attempt to sing their poppy song (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
By the river: Revolutionary song Zamuchen tiazheloi nevolei (Tormented by a Lack of Freedom) (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Fanfare (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
The story of Silych's son, Ivan
Zamuchen tiazheloi nevolei (Tormented by a Lack of Freedom) (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
The Year 1919, Russian Civil War - Fanfare and Organ Voluntary (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Internationale: The girls leave for war (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
The girls attend to the wounded soldiers on the battlefield (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Alla Marcia: The town of Pushkin has been taken by the enemy (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Internationale: The girls and the wounded soldiers retreat by train
Zoya in the snowy forest (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
The Forester's Hut
Fanfare: Andrei arrives with news from the front (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Fanfare (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
The girls find a chicken
Natasha and Zoya sing a nostalgic song, Gde eti tyoplie nochi (Where are those warm nights?) (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Natasha and Zoya are rescued (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Fanfare: Andrei and Senka arrive (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Andrei's closing words
Dmitry Shostakovich: Prav', Britaniya (Rule, Britannia), Op. 28
Internationale
Infantry March
Along the Soviet Route
Protest (reconstructed by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Raising the Banner
The Banners Flap in the Wind
Dmitry Shostakovich: Salyut, Ispaniya (Salute to Spain), Op. 44
Fanfare I
March of the Officers
Fanfare II
Anon.: A las barricadas! (To the Barricades!) (arranged by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Song of Rosita
Fanfare III
attrib. I. S. Aturov: Po dolinam i po vzgor'yam (Along the valleys and over the hills) (arranged by M. Fitz-Gerald)
Reminiscence of the Song of Rosita
Lucia's Funeral March
Dmitry Shostakovich: Symphonic Movement (1st version of Symphony no. 9)
Symphonic Fragment (1st version of Symphony no. 9)
August 2009
*****
“This is a significant new release of mostly minor Shostakovich rarities - painstakingly restored by Mark Fitz-Gerald, faultlessly delivered by first-class Polish musicians in bright, clear sound and deservedly annotated by no less than five experts.”
September 2009
“Shostakovich's forgotten film music and first ideas for the Ninth Symphony. …The Girlfriends (1935) is the most diverse of all the composer's earlier film scores: cues for string quartet make way for those in which chamber ensembles alternate with brass fanfares, folk choruses and even the Internationale on solo theremin before a powerful orchestral apotheosis. No other such score gives as many clues to Shostakovich's development, and to have it complete and so finely realised is as pleasurable as it is instructive.”
Introduction (opening credits)
