DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975): 6 Romances on Verses by W. Raleigh, R. Burns and W. Shakespeare, Op. 62a (World Premiere Recording of Orchestral Version), Suite on Poems by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Op. 145a (World Premiere Recording of Italian Version), Annie Laurie (traditional orch. Shostakovich) (World Premiere Recording).

Description: The 1942 cycle of English poems gains significantly in this full orchestration (made in 1943) which had been misplaced until very recently (Op. 140 is a chamber orchestra version Shostakovich made in 1971) while Annie Laurie is one of almost 100 unnumbered compositions or arrangements, this one dating from 1944. The major project, though, was editing a version of Michelangelo's original Florentine Italian texts which would fit with Shostakovich's score (made, of course, to Russian translations), a job done mostly by Finley himself, who provides a separate four pages of notes on the process. English and Italian-English texts. Gerald Finley (bass-baritone), Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; Thomas Sanderling.