Another great interpreter is the dedicatee, that greatest of all Soviet / Russian conductors Evgeny Mravinsky. His 1947 (or is it 1957) recording from Prague with the Czech Phil is incredibly intense but plagued by pitch issues and poor sound. The 1960 or the 1982 recordings with his own orchestra, the fabled Leningrad Phil, are good alternatives. Barshai’s 8th is also very very good. Other Western interpretations worth listening to IMHO are Previn from 1973 (EMI) and especially Wigglesworth (Bis). The much lauded Nelsons DSCH cycle also has a worthwhile 8th.
Also interesting is the Oleg Caetani cycle and the 8th therein. A much under appreciated conductor (Caetani is the son of the great Igor Markevitch). And last but not the least Kondrashin is a mandatory listen in any Shostakovich discussion.
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