The renaissance of Mieczyslaw Weinberg continues
apace, but the date of this recording places it more amongst the vanguard
of mainstream releases than a follower of the growing trend for Weinberg’s
rediscovery and rehabilitation as a composer of stature.
It was
reviewed
on these pages back in 2008 and seems to have become hard to acquire
in the UK, so download options or import sources may offer the best
options. The title, “On the Threshold of Hope”, is a reference to the
period from which all of these pieces come, seemingly the darkest of
days during the Second World War but also a period in which the repression
of Jewish peoples by the Soviet Union was temporarily eased. This was
a pragmatic act which sought to mobilise as many resources as possible
during the “Great Patriotic War”, but the ‘hope of better days’ must
have seemed strong at the time.
While Weinberg is seen today as a strong musical voice in his own right
the key to his work remains the strong influence of Shostakovich on
his idiom. There are plenty of Jewish gestures in the
Clarinet Sonata,
though the solo instrument itself encourages such associations. This
is a substantial piece with oodles of superb content, and can stand
amongst any in the genre. There is much that is reflective and atmospherically
nostalgic in the work, which ends in a spare, slow
Adagio. The
first movement is full of uplifting character and the second has almost
American inflections of melody – a possible salute towards the US cavalry
which would ultimately help us all to get through WWII. Virtuoso display
is very much in the back seat, but musicality of expression is a core
requirement and these musicians have this score nailed, the sense of
an iron fist in a velvet glove perfectly balanced in a performance of
sometimes tragic firmness and clear moments of triumph and limpid beauty.
The only alternative I could find for this piece in its original form
is from CPO with clarinettist Wenzel Fuchs and pianist Elisaveta Blumina
(
review),
but the contrasts of lively if seemingly regret–tinged fun are not allowed
their full expression in this version, with timings longer and tragedy
more to the fore. This is fine, but I prefer the wider extremes of poignancy
allowed by Valdepeņas and Werner, bringing us up as well as down.
I haven’t managed to track down an alternative for the
Jewish Songs
Op. 17, but Richard Margison’s vocal performance is very good. His
‘loud’ gear can be a little lacking in variety of tone though this may
have something to do with the recording, which places him at a respectful
distance from the microphone. The quietly fearful opening of
Nayyor
lid or
New Year’s Song shows subtle sides to this performance,
and the inflections of the Yiddish language seems convincing enough
to my untutored ears. This cycle was neither published nor performed
in its own time, and given the themes of suffering and tragedies of
war this is hardly surprising given the political climate. The texts
are given in English translation as well as the original. This is a
cycle full of directly expressed and mostly compact settings which have
plenty of power – the music descending from the words without pretensions
and airs. The longest,
Tife griber, royter leym (
Deep Pits,
Crimson Clay) is a grim masterpiece, lines such as “By the graves
of the departed / By the deep pits full of bodies / Will our pain be
overcome” saying enough about the images communicated.
The
Piano Quintet Op. 18 opens with inescapable Shostakovich
fingerprints of a piano melody in octaves amongst the strings, but the
quality in the music is also immediately apparent. Superbly written
for the instruments, Weinberg defines the piano from the strings but
avoids turning the work into too much of a concerto, delivering interest
and drama for all concerned throughout. There are five movements, with
two ‘scherzos’ dividing what would otherwise be a traditional three-movement
structure. The 14 minute
Largo is a remarkable piece in its own
right and, far from flagging in inventiveness, the final
Allegro
agitato is positively symphonic in its ambitions.
There are a few alternatives for the
Piano Quintet available
and that with the Borodin Quartet on the Melodiya label makes a strong
case from the outset (
review).
Coupled with the Shostakovich
Piano Quintet there is a decent
recording on the Hänssler Classic label (CD93.260) with the Szymanowski
Quartet which I find lacks the urgency required in the first movement.
It is generally longer in timings and with more vibrato in the strings
wears its emotion a little too much on its sleeve for my taste. ‘Con
moto’ is also rather missing from the opening when it comes to the EOS
Quartet on Neos (NEOS11128) in an occasionally rather noisy and not
very stereo live recording (
review).
The Kopelman Quartet with Elizaveta Kopelman on piano from Nimbus (NI5865
–
review)
is better, having a more distant piano balance than most but with greater
energetic pace in the opening movement, actually undercutting the ARC
Ensemble by a few seconds. Of all these I would pick the ARC Ensemble
for the recording balance and sheer intensity of the playing, managing
to maintain control and refinement even when the wounds are at their
most raw.
In all this remains a very fine Mieczyslaw Weinberg programme from an
unlikely mainstream source. Admirable RCA production standards and excellent
performances make this a fine chamber music selection from an important
period in the composer’s life. If you can find a copy I would urge you
to snap it up pronto.
Dominy Clements
Previous review:
Rob Barnett
Weinberg review index
