WEINBERG Symphony No. 13 Serenade for Orchestra

Siberian State Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Lande

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS Mieczys ław Weinberg (1919 –1996) Symphony No. 13 • Serenade for Orchestra Mieczysław Weinberg was born in Warsaw on 8 his Third Symphony (1949), he turned instead to mainly recalled as transition to a headlong coda, in which The work opens with a sombre theme on violas, soon December 1919, where he emerged as a highly regarded shorter orchestral pieces derived from folk sources. Typical elements of all the themes are combined on their way to a continued by the strings as this grows in volume and pianist who might well have continued his studies in the examples are those that comprise Weinberg’s Op. 47 , rousing conclusion. intensity. Cor anglais makes a pensive contribution, United States until the Nazi invasion forced him to flee to of which the Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes (1949) – At the time of Shostakovich’s death in August 1975, followed by clarinet then lower woodwind as the music Minsk (in the course of which his travel documents were whether in its orchestral version ( Op. 47, No. 1 ) [Naxos Weinberg had not essayed a symphony for full orchestra heads to a brief climax. This is curtailed to leave upper inscribed as Moisey Vainberg, by which name he was 8.572779] or that with violin ( Op. 47, No. 3 ) – soon since his Fifth of 13 years earlier. He responded with his strings in musing uncertainty, joined by piccolo and other ‘officially’ known until 1982). During 1939–41 he studied became popular. Also included in this sequence are the Twelfth Symphony [8.573085], as dedicated to the solo woodwind as the momentum steadily increases, then composition with Vassily Zolotaryov then, after the Nazi Suite on Polish Tunes (Op. 47, No. 2 ) and the Serenade memory of his mentor and his largest purely orchestral gradually taking in the full orchestra until percussion enter invasion, headed further east to Tashkent where he duly (Op. 47, No. 4 ) written in 1952 and premiered on such work. This was soon followed in 1976 with his and a strident climax is reached. Solo instruments now became immersed in numerous theatrical and operatic 7 November that year by the USSR Symphony Orchestra Thirteenth – dedicated to the memory of his mother who unexpectedly come to the fore, notably violin with a projects. There he also wrote his First Symphony , which with . Dedicated to Alexander had perished, with his father and sister, in the Polish transit cadenza-like passage which is intensified as strings and favourably impressed Shostakovich and resulted in his Gauk (who recorded an abbreviated version with the camp at Trawniki in the early 1940s (and who was also the brass engage in confrontation over pounding timpani. settling in in 1943 where he was to remain for the State Radio Orchestra in 1956), this stands with the Suite dedicatee of his Sixteenth Symphony (1981) and Sixth Woodwind add their sardonic commentary, not least the rest of his life. Despite various personal setbacks (his written two years before [8.573565] as an instance of Violin Sonata (1982) [8.572320 –21]). Surprisingly enough, glissandi from trombones, then a baleful culmination – father-in-law, the renowned actor Solomon Mikhoels, was undemanding yet pleasurable music that, for all he might there seem not to have been any public performances at capped by trumpets – is reached. The opening string murdered in 1948 and Weinberg himself was imprisoned have felt compelled to compose it, Weinberg was so this time (only from his Fourteenth Symphony in 1977 theme now returns as a broad cantilena over a throbbing for alleged ‘Jewish subversion’ then freed only after the adept at producing when the need arose. onwards did Weinberg secure the advocacy of Vladimir accompaniment on harps and lower strings, but this is death of Stalin in 1953), he gradually gained a reputation The opening Allegretto begins with a lyrical melody Fedoseyev), and this is also its first recording. suddenly cut off to leave solo woodwind and strings as a figure who was championed by many of the leading on violins (curiously akin to that which opens Malcolm Unlike its predecessor, which adheres to the groping their way forwards. The emotional intensity duly Soviet singers, instrumentalists and conductors. Arnold’s own Serenade from just a year later), followed by archetypal four-movement format, the Thirteenth subsides as the introspective mood from the outset is Despite receiving various official honours, Weinberg’s a more animated theme with woodwind to the fore. These Symphony is cast in a single movement (a procedure regained, with one last attempt at a climax which fortunes declined noticeably over his final two decades – are repeated in subtly varied guise, before the initial further pursued in the Fourteenth and Sixteenth ) that collapses into plangent gestures on bassoons and not least owing to the emergence of a younger generation melody returns a final time and leads into a limpid coda unfolds as a near symmetrical arc toward its central timpani. At length, solo viola comes into focus, leading of composers whose perceived antagonism to the Soviet for clarinets. The Allegro molto that follows opens with an culmination. A large orchestra (including triple woodwind, through to the work’s close with fragmented responses establishment had gained them greater coverage in the echoing horn-call and features a lively first theme for six horns and four each of trumpets and trombones) is from woodwind that merge into sparse chords on harp West (where Weinberg had never enjoyed more than a strings then a rumbustious one with brass and percussion found, but this is for the most part used sparingly in and ascend beyond earshot. modest presence even during his heyday), and his death to the fore. The horn-call also introduces the middle textures which are austere or chamber-like in manner. No A final observation is the quotation (after the first in Moscow on 26 February 1996 went largely unnoticed. section, a capering idea passed between woodwind, less notable here is the avoidance of what might be climax) of a chorale from the second act of Weinberg’s Since then, however, his output – which comprises before the two main themes are reprised and the horn-call described as self-contained themes, in favour of linear or opera The Passenger (1968), as linked to the mutual 26 symphonies and 17 string quartets, together with seven launches into an energetic coda. The ensuing Adagio has motivic ideas which evolve over the course of its almost support of female inmates in Auschwitz and which duly operas, some two-dozen song cycles and a wealth of a wistful introduction for clarinet, leading into an elegant 35 minutes. Weinberg had worked with such processes in serves a personal and a more abstract function in this chamber and instrumental music – has secured a rapidly theme which finds contrast in an atmospheric theme for his string quartets and solo instrumental sonatas from the piece overall. increasing number of performances and recordings and is cor anglais and strings; both themes being recalled prior 1960s, but here he transfers them to a larger canvas with now held in ever greater regard as a significant personal to a gentle signing-off. The final Allegro giocoso starts gripping if often unsettling results. Richard Whitehouse continuation of the Russian symphonic tradition. with a perky theme for woodwind that is again contrasted The period between the ‘Zhdanov decree’ in 1948 with a more energetic one for strings and percussion. and Stalin’s death five years later proved a difficult time These are repeated even more vividly, before the first for Weinberg as it did for many Soviet composers. After theme leads to its transformation into a stately anthem on the censure of his First Sinfonietta (1948) and rejection of horns then strings and brass. The original version is now Siberian State Symphony Orchestra (Krasnoyarsk)