Mieczysław WEINBERG (1919-1996)
Six Ballet Scenes: Choreographic Symphony, Op. 113 [32.01]
Symphony No. 22, Op. 154 (1994 - orch. 2003 Kirill Umansky) [39.58]
Siberian Symphony Orchestra/Dmitry Vasilyev
rec. April 2013, Philharmonic Concert Hall, Omsk, Siberia
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0313 [71.59]
The Toccata
Classics 2014 release of Mieczysław Weinberg’s Symphony
No. 21, Op. 152 Kaddish and Polish Tunes, Op. 47, No.
2 was remarkable and created considerable interest. Now Toccata present a
second Weinberg volume comprising two world première recordings. Once again
Toccata use the admirable Siberian Symphony Orchestra under Dmitry Vasilyev.
Thanks to a burgeoning interest in Weinberg there is now an increasing number
of recordings of this Polish-born Soviet composer. The Bregenz
Festival in 2011 headlined a Weinberg Retrospective and gave
the stage première of Weinberg’s Holocaust opera The Passenger
directed by David Pountney the festival’s music director (review
~ review).
As the Bregenz festival’s featured composer a number of other Weinberg
scores were performed including his Gogol opera The Portrait directed
by John Fulljames. David Fanning’s recent book Mieczyslaw Weinberg:
In Search of Freedom has undoubtedly increased awareness and further
widened the knowledge of this talented and fascinating composer. It would
only take a renowned conductor - maybe one born in Russia - such as Kirill
Petrenko, Vasily Petrenko or Kirill Karabits to make recordings of Weinberg’s
symphonic works to command international attention.
From 1958 The White Chrysanthemum ballet in three acts after A. Rumnev
and J. Romanovich has a scenario based on a girl who is blinded at Hiroshima
but later has her sight restored by Soviet doctors. The ballet was never staged
probably due to difficult political relations with Japan around that time.
No score has been found and it is even possible that Weinberg left the ballet
unorchestrated. It was Weinberg himself who extracted the Six Ballet Scenes
and orchestrated them as the Choreographic Symphony
and dated the manuscript July 1973. This is a memorable score, full of delicious
contrasts, often percussion laden in a similar way to late Shostakovich. In
the energetic and restless opening Allegro the forceful percussion
seem to be jousting with the strings and the following Adagio is
infused with an exotic middle-eastern flavour. Appealing is the playful and
dance-like Allegretto and the dark mystery of the Adagio-Moderato
is heavy with foreboding. Especially engaging, the penultimate movement an
Adagio contains some gloriously melodic writing that could have easily
come from the pen of Rachmaninov. Ending the work the Presto just
bristles with raw energy. Towards the beginning of the movement the music
contains a definite klezmer feel but overall has all the vivacious force of
Prokofiev.
Illness delayed Weinberg’s writing of his Symphony No. 22
and it was left unfinished at his death in 1996. Dedicated to Olya his wife
the unfinished manuscript was completed in piano version only. Weinberg’s
widow suggested to Kirill Umansky that he might orchestrate the score. Immersing
himself in Weinberg’s symphonic music Umansky completed the orchestration
and the first performance was given by the Belgorod State Philharmonic Orchestra
in 2003. The symphony steeped in melancholy is notable for its bleak rather
severe character and sense of foreboding. I found little in the way of contrast
throughout the three movements and although it’s not a work I especially
enjoyed its intensity and severe emotions are certainly hard to ignore. At
just under 25 minutes the opening movement is over double the length of the
next longest. Titled Fantasia the writing contains a feeling of intense
sadness and a searching quality combined with a near constant icy chill. Relatively
short at just over 5 minutes the second movement an Intermezzo contains
that now familiar bleakness although it’s not quite as harsh. Titled
Reminiscences the Finale eschews originality returning to
the austere character of the opening movement.
Under the assured baton of Dmitry Vasilyev the Siberian Symphony Orchestra
excel with compelling playing of unyielding vitality in the Six Ballet
Scenes and vigour matched with sheer concentration in the Symphony.
Recorded at Philharmonic Concert Hall, Omsk in Siberia the sound quality is
full and clear. The release also has the benefit of a helpful essay in the
booklet from leading Weinberg authority David Fanning.
For those unaccustomed to Weinberg this admirably played release is not the
place to start however the Six Ballet Scenes was a satisfying surprise
and is worth obtaining for that alone.
Michael Cookson
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