James Zehm continues to extrapolate meaning:

I wrote:

Mostly lacking becuse they seem to not understand the musical maxims
Shostakovich music needs...

James replied:

>>>But Maxim Sjostakovitj understands Sjostakovitjs maxims.  I'm not joking
>>>- listen to the Sjostakovitj Piano concerto nr.2 with Maxim and Dimitrij Jr.

I disgreed:

>>Well, I disagree; of course arguing on who understands someones music the
>>best - for instance a son of the composer, is futile. ...

James corrected:

>If you read again what I have written you will see I have nowhere claimed
>neither that Maxim Sjostakovitj is the best Sjostakovitj interpreter, nor
>that he is the best because he is the son of the great Dimitrij.

I try to maximise my thinking: If I hastily interpreted Mr Zehms statement
that X understands Y's maxims as mening that X is the better interpreter
of Y's works, I appologize.  Still I have to maintain, to me using such
a maxim imply, even if unstated something of its like.

>To believe that is always the fact one also must believe John Mauceris
>father was a baboon.

I'm bewildered: Dear Mr Zehm can You substantiate that he is not? (myself
trying to be rhetorical, I hereby confess not being well versed in the case
of John Mauceris father..  but I do like several of his sons recordings in
Deccas "entartete" series..  and becuse I belive that all beings on this
planet are equal, no matter, gender, age ore surface quality of ones skin,
and if Mr Mauceris father is a baboon, or even only percives himself a
such, he should not be ridiculed, I support his efforts of coming to terms
with himself!)

>>To my simple ears and musical understanding, and after having studied
>>Shostakovich music intensely for many years - having heard most of Maxims
>>recordings, (spread on labels; Melodyia, Chandos, Collins, Supraphon and
>>Philips) must say ...
>
>You lucky devil who have heard so much Sjostakovitj - I wished I had
>too!!...If I only were richer!  But what I have heard I don't think
>Sjostakovitjs Sjostakovitj is so bad, but I can agree that there are other
>that does him better, i.e.  Rozhdestvensky.  That unconventional Mravinsky,
>with his splendid 1948 Sjosty 8, I don't dare to bring up.

FWIW; I'm neither lucky nor a devil, but determined, and economics has
little or nothing to do with this, determined people make sure that they
get to indulge in their objects of desire, in my case (as one who also
lives on small means) I have learnt to use all the official institutions
where one can hear music, like libraries, friends and radio.  I did not
say that Maxims DSCH conducting was bad, but too -literal-.  Rozhdestvensky
does fine, especially his Melodiya symphonies are among the better, his
ballet's on Chandos with The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra are
at best interesting, unfortuantly the orchestra is a bit unidiomatic.  To
call Mravinsky "unconventional" is perhaps showing a small misunderstanding
of conventions in Shostakovich interpretation, to me and I dare say the
larger part of the Shostakovian world, Mravinsky is perhaps the main
interpretative convention of DSCH's non choral symphonies, only perhaps
beeing challenged to this by Kirill Kondrashin, to me; both are essential
for the serious Shostakovian.

>>...  Maxim conducts the notes but he does not hear the music, and still
>>He is a quite skilful conductor, but wen performing Dmitri Sr.'s music he
>>haven't the ability to free himself from the fact that he is the "genius"
>>son.
>
>I think his got a pretty humble approach to the music....

I positioned myself: In the world of musical interpretating humble and
literal is often synonymous ore atleast on the same side on that impossible
"tug of war"..

>but of course I could be wrong...have not heard so much.

I explain my postition: I'm sorry If my "lecturing" gives a feeling of
being "wrong", I have stated it before; I do not belive that there is a
wrong ore right, best, better ore worst in any kind of music, what there
is, is opinions and and people that thave those opinions, and wen these
people discuss their opinions it will show that some of them are "perhaps"
more knowledged about the topic - but most of us are still learning, and
that my friends I belive is the sole purpose of living.

>Anyone familiar with non-Sjostakovijs Sjostakovitj conducting?

I humbly give a few leads: There is a few recordings in Olympias Vainberg
series, (FX symphony No. 12), and I think some Chachaturian, I have a few
old Melodiya LP's with a mix of russian music, but none is AFAIK available
as reissues (from wen He headed the USSR TV & Radion Symphony Orchestra).

Some day perhaps BMG will have reached that far in their Melodiya reissue
campaign.  From what I have heard, Maxim has devoted himself to Sr.'s music
over the last ten years, and as He does not seem to conduct that often, I
only know of two scheduled concerts in Prague over the comming years, the
non "from the family" music that has gotten a try has not increesed that
much..

Humbly,
peter lundin, gothenburg.se