Symphony no. 7 (cd)

Gramophone Magazine
October 2026
Editor's Choice

San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Payare

The San Diego Symphony Orchestra is one of the United States’ leading orchestras. Led by Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, the Orchestra has experienced an explosive artistic expansion, transforming its repertoire and forging a distinctive sound. The recent renovation of Jacobs Music Center – a premier concert hall and architectural landmark – now allows that artistry to be heard in all its power, color, and nuance. Launching a new collaboration with Delos, the musicians have recorded live at Jacobs Music Center Shostakovich’s monumental Symphony No. 7. Known as the “Leningrad” – the symphony was composed during the notorious and brutal siege of the city – the work is emotionally and historically supercharged. As the first recording captured in the hall’s newly renovated acoustics, it sets the tone for an exciting new partnership!

"Payare's tempi are well-judged throughout and work effectively in the 'invasion' middle section of the first movement, where the conductor resists the temptation to increase the speed ever so slightly as more instruments join the fray." — BBC Music Magazine, October 2026

"Payare cannot offer us all the possible virtues, but his taut, disciplined approach is a fresh view worthy to take its place among the essential recorded accounts of the symphony." — Gramophone Magazine, October 2026