‘The virtues in the St Petersburg Quartet's Shostakovich are as evident here as in the first volume of their complete cycle. Once again it's not so much the technical excellence of their full-blooded playing that really strikes home as their ability to project the subtext that lies beneath the notes. Its performance is full of revelatory nuances’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘These are among the great interpretations that have been placed on disc’ (Fanfare, USA)

'All central to the repertoire irrespective of other associations, these works nevertheless make powerful extramusical statements. The Fourth (1949) embraces Jewish inflections in the face of rising Soviet anti-semitism; the Eighth (1960), a reflection on the Dresden bombing, is also a disillusioned Shostakovich's memorial to himself; and the 11th (1966) touchingly memorialises Vasily Shirinsky, violinist of the Beethoven Quartet. The performances are both polished and passionate' (The Sunday Times)

‘An extremely well-balanced and -matched ensemble, giving highly energised and committed performances. This recording seems to have found the ideal balance between youthful vigour and adult refinement. The tone is warm and the recording sumptuous. The disc is very highly recommended’ (Music Teacher)

‘An emotional intensity which leaves little doubt that it meant a great deal to the composer – and to these prize-winning Russian players’ (Liverpool Evening News)

‘Playing of a technical command that invites comparison with the best available’ (Gramophone)

‘These are among the great interpretations that have been placed on disc … I do believe that this cycle could grow to some of the most impressive Shostakovich performances ever placed on disc’ (Fanfare, USA)

'The excellent performances on this recording can be enjoyed without any need to rank them among the numerous other fine issues available … anyone encountering the Fifth for the first time in this performance will doubtless be overwhelmingly impressed' (AllMusic, USA)» More

'His strength is in his ability to inspire players. There's nothing routine about this performance: Rostropovich generates a fierce intensity … the LSO's response is consistently impressive' (Classic FM Magazine)

'This is the sort of thing at which Rostropovich excels; the frozen wastes, the seas of desolation that cover this carefully-proportioned symphony have never been more atmospherically charted' (BBC Music Magazine)

'In this towering performance by the LSO under the composer's friend and colleague Mstislav Rostropovich ... Shostakovich comes across as a thoroughgoing modernist, agonised about the issues of the day, but pouring his angst into a huge, multifaceted work which flows with the heat of volcanic lava. One of the last remaining links with this titanic composer, the great cellist-conductor can lay rightful claim to being his outstanding living interpreter' (The Observer)

‘These players approach Shostakovich's mighty cycle with a natural authority that's unanswerable, along with tireless precision and virtuosity, plus a wonderful command of the music's way of switching between sunlight and shadow when you least expect it’ (Classic FM Magazine)