It has been argued that Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony is his best, the most convincing emotionally, cogent dramatically, evocative poetically, and consistently successful musically. It is the most recorded of the Soviet master's symphonies after the Fifth, and the stature of the international conductors who've taken it on is one measure of its standing. Of all the recordings by Soviet and international conductors, this one might ultimately be the deepest of all. Part of the reason is that the conductor is Maxim Shostakovich, the composer's son, and he not only understands the work with an intimacy that no other conductor can match, but he possesses a fine baton technique and sufficient interpretive skills to realize his understanding. His interpretation is quite different from most other conductors'. For him, the Tenth, for all its sound and fury, is essentially a restrained work that rarely breaks through its reserve to openly express itself. For much of its length, Maxim's interpretation holds back from unleashing the orchestra's full strength, but without letting the line go slack. By not releasing the orchestra's power, Maxim maintains the pressure and builds intensity as the listener's anticipation increases. When he finally does hit the symphony's climax in its heartwrenching slow movement, the effect is shattering. He benefits from having at his disposal the super-virtuoso London Symphony, an orchestra used to serving a wide variety of guest conductors both in the concert hall and the recording studio, and this 1990 digital recording, first released by Collins and reissued here by Alto, is big and brash, but with plenty of detail and a sense of place and time. Every Shostakovich fan should hear this recording and might even consider it as a first choice.