Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

“Despite any sonic limitations I promise you the performances transcend them. This is an important set which gives us some vivid examples of great conducting in action.” MusicWeb International, 15th May 2013

“[Sado] digs unostentatiously deep in both the fluid and monumental aspects of this concert, given to raise funds for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster. Much in the two chosen works is both complementary and appropriate...A short interview with Sado tells us little; but what he achieves in performance is unquestionably beyond words.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2012

“I like Takemitsu best when there's rigorous tension put between his soft-focus, stylised figurations...Here the balance is perfect...After Takemitsu, Shostakovich's urgent 'listen to this' message, each harmonic sidestep loaded with interference, is a shock. I like the dynamic detail Sado lavishes on the first movement...And another sound reason to buy this DVD: all proceeds will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross to help victims of the 2011 tsunami.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2012

“a performance of alluring poise. Some may find the seamless tonal blend and peerless technical accomplishment over-manicured (even counter-productive) bearing in mind the music's historical context, but taken on its own terms one can hardly help but be galvanized by its supreme expertise.” International Record Review, June 2012

“The Philips recordings give a vivid close-up of the brilliant orchestral playing, the result is something very exciting indeed. If you want to be knocked over by the symphony, this is the version to get.” Gramophone Magazine

“Petrenko's… Fifth is remarkable for the tight discipline and detailed characterisation of musicians plainly on the up. The five-movement Ninth has sufficient energy and muscle to make it more than a mere divertissement. …Petrenko takes his time with the second movement, imparting almost too much aching reflectiveness, notwithstanding the loveliness of the playing. ...a whizzing Presto, demonstrating just how far the RLPO's corporate virtuosity has developed in a relatively short time. The finale puts on a cartoonish burst of speed at its pompous apex. Though you may not like this or that effect, the performance as a whole is deft and undeniably persuasive.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2009

“…Petrenko's interpretation of the Ninth unleashes the full ferocity of threatening developments and proves that the Moderato, however spare, remains as eloquent a slow movement as any in Shostakovich's works. Superb playing all round, too, not just from the spotlit bassoon in the crucial recitative but also from first oboe, piccolo and the pairs of subtly phrasing clarinets. In the Fifth Symphony, the principal flautist is representative of Petrenko's care in making sure every phrase sounds absolutely right for the context...” BBC Music Magazine, December 2009

“…the Liverpool strings aren't quite as yet a match for the classic Stokowski/Ormandy sound. But they certainly handle every nuance in this detailed score, and in any case Ormandy never peered into the dark corners of this masterpiece in the way that Petrenko does. In Isle of the Dead the obsessive oarsmanship of Charon's boat, and a tauter, more dramatically contrasted dialogue between cloudlet and rock in the earlier tone poem are spellbinding, too, but the Dances are the thing.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2010 *****

“Petrenko’s strategic planning pays off with terrific tension, frightening crescendos and sharply defined emotional moods...The slow movement shivers in desolation. In the finale, woodwinds bring tendrils of hope; then comes the moving, contemplative coda. The series’ best release so far.” The Times, 2nd May 2010 *****

“to rival the very best” Gramophone Magazine