Shostakovich’s film
score for Hamlet is a fairly
late work. Its content is not in the
least like the earlier film scores written
when the composer was firmly under The
Authorities’ thumb. This is music of
the composer’s maturity and, make no
mistake about it, is generally superb.
Naxos has a number
of series on the go, and this one is
from their Film Music line. As is often
the case with record companies these
days, we have here a first recording
of the complete score, including sections
previously unavailable. The score is
played superbly by a Russian orchestra
well versed in the Shostakovich idiom.
A few months ago I was less than welcoming
with the same orchestra and conductor’s
recording of Shostakovich’s 7th
Symphony, because of the extreme dullness
of the performance. I am happy to relate
that this latest recording is not similarly
affected.
The disc not only restores
the eight movement suite arranged by
Lev Atovmian as Op. 116a, but also includes
some music not used in the film. This
is where the composer has prepared a
score which is faded out in the film
and the remainder not used as part of
the soundtrack. Naxos is to be thanked
for restoring this music to us in such
a convenient form.
There are one or two
banalities, such as the use of a harpsichord
with the orchestra. This sounds quite
anachronistic heard without the visual
impact of the film; it might be quite
alright in context. One section is to
do with Ophelia going mad and the second
half of the theme is vaguely reminiscent
of "If I Were a Rich Man",
scored for harpsichord and strings.
The suite as recorded
here follows the sequence of the film.
The film is an adaptation of the classic
Shakespeare play by Grigori Kozintzev.
It started as a politically sensitive
version of the story to provide the
audience with the clear Soviet message.
This meant that the film became largely
a three way political drama, in which
Shostakovich weaves the main themes
around the three main characters. The
play ends in a funeral, leaving the
state leaderless and at risk of attack.
Against the backdrop of reminders from
the authorities that the Soviet Union
needed to be strong and united, the
film could have been seen as a criticism
of the state, under the control of an
incorrigibly corrupt regime, and therefore
a risky position to be in. Shostakovich
and his director decided that to promote
the film as a classic adaptation of
the original. This seemed to allow them
to get away with it.
The whole disc lasts
62 minutes and is a very respectable
slice of music. Naxos can be very proud
of this issue. In the score there are
elements of other Shostakovich works,
as you might imagine. These include
reminiscences of the eleventh and thirteenth
symphonies and of some of the string
quartets.
The recording, as is
the case now with many of Naxos’s current
offerings is very good. It has a believable
acoustic without being a spectacular
hi-fi product as some of the mainstream
companies might have recorded it. This
means that in the domestic setting the
recording comes over very naturally
and is very enjoyable, without shaking
the house to its foundations.
It is a great pity
that Kosintsev’s film is not better
known, as this may have generated a
bigger market for the disc. As it is,
it is likely to be welcomed with open
arms by all fans of the composer. Very
well done, to all concerned.
John Phillips
see also reviews
by Paul
Serotsky, Colin
Clarke and Ian
Lace/Gary Dalkin
Russian Philharmonic Orchestra/Dmitry Yablonsky.