I want to thank everyone who offered their opinions on the myriad of
recordings available of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony, and here's what I'm
going to do.  I'll review the Gergiev and Bychkov, using for comparision
(good or bad) the Ancerl/Supraphon, Barshai/Brilliant, Haitink/Decca,
Temirkanov/RCA, Masur/Teldec, Berglund/EMI, and Bernstein/DG.  The only
one I'm currently lacking is the Bychkov.  Once acquired, I'll be out
of the gate.

This will be my first review of a Shostakovich symphony, and I'm very
enthusiastic about it.  I have reviewed recordings of his Opus 87
Preludes/Fugues and am currently working his Piano Sonatas and Opus 34
Preludes.  However, the Symphonies were big favorites of mine when I was
growing up.

As an aside, this is my first week in the retirement mode, and I have
to pinch myself to realize that I really have it so good.  I suppose
the trick is to make sure that the mind and body do not atrophy, so
I'm making sure that I use both extensively.  I might even take up the
clarinet again, assuming I go out and buy some reeds.  Also, my long-legged
dog General Jackson is having a great time with our long walks; he loves
sniffing everything that he comes across.  In that area, I am more
discriminating than the General.

Don Satz
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