Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Roman Kofman - Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 (2004)

Tracklist

01. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: I. Moderato
02. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: II. Allegretto
03. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: III. Largo
04. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47: IV. Allegro non troppo
05. Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: I. Allegro
06. Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: II. Moderato
07. Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: III. Presto
08. Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: IV. Largo
09. Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: V. Allegretto

This is a frequent coupling, and Roman Kofman and the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn earn the distinction of turning in what easily are the dullest performances in a crowded field. Flat and flavorless, distantly recorded, and indifferently played, these antiseptically professional efforts have few if any positive qualities. The opening of the Fifth has no bite at all, which is strange in a German orchestra, as they usually boast excellent strings (especially cellos and basses)–and this doesn’t bode well for the scherzo either. Perhaps Kofman’s leadership is mesmerizing in the wrong sense, but then this group never has been one of the country’s finer ensembles, certainly not compared to the efforts of, say, the WDR Orchestra under Barshai (Brilliant Classics). Climaxes are noteworthy for brass playing that’s admirably lacking in vulgarity and any shred of character. The woodwinds in the first and third movements of the Ninth have no rhythmic snap, and Kofman sleepwalks through the great Largo of the Fifth. The fact that this disc is billed as the second volume in a projected complete symphony cycle is a frightening thought.

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