Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996)
Dawn, Op 60 (1957)
Symphony No 12, Op 114 (1975-76)
BBC Philharmonic/John Storgårds
rec. 2022 MediaCityUK, Salford, Manchester UK
Chandos CHAN20165 [74]
The music of Mieczysław Weinberg has become increasingly popular in the recording studio, yet has still to win over concert audiences. Weinberg was first heard in the West in the 1970s and I was very impressed by a Melodiya recording of Leonid Kogan playing his violin concerto coupled with the Fourth Symphony. His opera Die Passagierin about the Holocaust and much of the chamber and symphonic works on CD are impressive, too; Weinberg explores late Romanticism and neo-classicism while embracing Polish and Yiddish music and also displays the influence of Shostakovich, his friend and colleague.
The symphonic poem Dawn celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the October Revolution in 1957. It is a colourful piece, beginning on the double basses – hinting of tragedy – yet the mood is broken by an attractive theme on the solo violin leading to solos by flute and bassoon. The strings intone a theme echoing Shostakovich’s 11th and 12th symphonies. Revolutionary songs emerge on the woodwind and brass, and an upbeat idea on the bassoon is joined by the clarinet – yet darkness threatens before the brass and timpani bring this piece to a celebratory close. In his note, John Storgårds writes that he gave the world premiere in 2019 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra during the composer’s centenary year, and this is its first recording.
I first heard Weinberg’s Twelfth Symphony in a performance in 1986 by the Novosibirsk Philharmonic conducted by Arnold Katz in Leningrad. The concert was in memory of Shostakovich and included Tischenko’s Fifth Symphony (also dedicated to Shostakovich). I was impressed by the Weinberg symphony, but it lacks the originality of his Fourth and Tenth Symphonies, as in those earlier piece, the composer speaks in his own voice, whereas the eulogy to Shostakovich is more derivative.
The massive first movement has six sections beginning with an Allegro moderato with three inner sections before the closing Largo. It opens with a striking bombastic chord which anticipates a passage of great momentum amid repetitive cries from the brass and after a while descends to an introspective passage on the strings, prior to building to an exciting passage reminiscent of Shostakovich. The beautiful solos from the woodwind are answered by clarion calls on the trumpets and strings, as if in conversation, before the coda leads to a Mahlerian rising scale. The second movement Allegretto, hints at neo-classicism, and a dark, repetitive passage sounds as if it were a concerto for orchestra but is enshrouded in an oppressive manner prior to the grandiloquent culmination.
The third movement Adagio, opens with a lament on the strings that becomes increasingly strident, again echoing Shostakovich in both language and ideas. The Finale: Allegro-Adagio, begins on the marimba, with an unpretentious, beautiful idea as the strings adopt a strident rhetorical theme, as if engaged in a struggle between good and evil, with shrieks from the brass against quiet intonation from the woodwind and – rather like the finale of Shostakovich’s Eighth symphony – then there is a prolonged slowing down with passages on the harp, violin and marimba enhanced by muted strings, culminating serenely, in great beauty.
Throughout both works, Storgårds directs the BBC Philharmonic with great commitment and secures magnificent playing from his musicians. The solo passages from the woodwind and brass department are outstanding. I have not heard his recent acclaimed recordings on Chandos of Shostakovich symphonies, but for anyone who has not heard the music of Weinberg, this excellently recorded CD will be a good introduction to his creativity. The recording – as one expects from Chandos – is of outstanding merit with beautifully clear sound. There is an alternative recording of the Twelfth symphony on Naxos by the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Lande, but I would recommend this new Chandos disc for its superb performance and state-of-the-art recording.
The 32-page booklet provides informative texts on the music, conductor and orchestra in English, French and German, with black and white photos of the composer, orchestra and conductor. As per Chandos’ consistently high standards, there are full details of the recordings. This new release is recommended to those interested in the less well-known composers of 20th-century music.
Gregor Tassie
Previous review: Néstor Castiglione (September 2023)
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