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Site review by Castor May 12, 2012
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
This is the fourth release in the series of recordings on Chandos of the symphonies and concertos by Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996) to appear on SACD. As on the previous releases the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is conducted with great authority by Thord Svedlund, and those who have acquired any of these earlier issues will be pleased to discover that this latest SACD is their equal in both performance and recording quality.
The disc opens with the première recording of the Symphony No. 20 Op. 150, a work dating from 1988 and dedicated to the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev, one of Weinberg's staunchest supporters in the 1980s. Incidentally, Fedoseyev seems to have embarked on a rival Weinberg series for the Neos label (live recordings) but there are no duplications - at least so far - with the Chandos releases.
This symmetrically constructed 40 minute symphony is in five movements. Two lengthy slow movements frame two short scherzi and a puzzling central 'Con moto' that sets out determinedly with busy woodwind over pizzicato strings and then gradually seems to lose its purpose before eventually dying to silence. The opening 'Adagio' is reminiscent of some of the more spare writing of Shostakovich in his later symphonies building inexorably to a searing climax before dying away to a hushed and desolate conclusion. Svedlund and his players maintain the tension most successfully throughout this movement's thirteen minute span. The scherzi are well contrasted. The laconic nature of the first with its slightly grotesque, almost Mahlerian central trio, contrasts with the driving energy of the second, whose main theme is stated by the horns over furious drumming. The 'Lento' finale begins with music that hints of Mahlerian eloquence on the strings but there is little consolation to be heard in its harrowing and tortured unfolding until towards the end the clouds begin to part and, with pealing bells, the work concludes in an affirmative C major. It would be hard to imagine a more committed or better executed performance than that given here.
The four-movement Cello Concerto Op 43 dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich dates from 1948 and possesses an appealing lyricism and warmth notably absent from the generally sombre and severe symphony. The rhapsodic 'Adagio' with which the work begins moves without a break into a sinuous habanera that includes passages clearly related to Weinberg's Jewish heritage. The exciting 'Allegro' that follows includes a long and passionate cadenza that segues into a final cheerful rondo movement before the concerto's eventual tranquil ending is reached. The magnificent cello playing of Claes Gunnarsson and the excellent Gothenburg orchestra secure a most eloquent and deeply felt performance of this rewarding concerto that really should be at least as popular as the pair by Weinberg's friend and mentor Shostakovich.
The famed acoustics of the Gothenburg Concert Hall and the skilled engineering of Tobjörn Samuelsson combine to deliver a superb sonic picture on this 5.0 channel 24-bit/96kHz SACD, whilst excellent liner notes from David Fanning skilfully guide the listener through these compositions as well as providing a fascinating historical backdrop to their genesis.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
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Copyright © 2012 Graham Williams and SA-CD.net
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