Sensible folk will have collected Vasily Petrenko's Shostakovichseries as each disc has appeared. Those who procrastinated should nip out and buy this amazingly cheap box, the symphonies squeezed on to nine discs. It's a steal, and these performances are consistently impressive. The only disappointments are musical. Symphonies 2 and 3 are pieces you'll probably only want to hear once, and Petrenko's valiant efforts aren't enough to save No.12 from sounding like blustery noise. The high spots are legion: Shostakovich's precocious Symphony No.1 is a fabulous, confident work. Repeated listenings confirm just how mature it is, the tonal shifts and sardonic humour already fully developed. Petrenko's performance catches the jokiness (check out the piano writing in the scherzo) and the tragedy: the oboe-led Lento is one of the great symphonic slow movements. These discs are so well engineered. No. 4's vast forces are handsomely recorded, the final fade to black shattering. The 5th Symphony's sardonic scherzo highlight's Petrenko's strengths, as does its expansive slow movement, though I've never been convinced by slow readings of the finale's coda. Symphonies 6 and 9 are both terrific, the former's vast Largo sounding as if it's a single take. You daren't leave the room while you're listening to it. The faster movements dazzle, helped by forwardly balanced winds and brass. Symphonies 7 and 8 are among the best, and Petrenko's 10th is almost as good as Andris Nelsons'. The bells which close the finale of the 11th ring out in suitably ambiguous fashion, daring us to believe that this is a Soviet-style happy ending. Bass Alexander Vinograd excels in Nos. 13 and 14, and Petrenko's 15th is haunting, witty and bittersweet, the percussion rich coda a fitting close to this cycle. The orchestral playing is razor sharp, the recordings have plenty of oomph, and the notes are detailed.