Mieczysław Weinberg - Symphony No. 12; Flute Concerto (Maxim Shostakovich; Alexander Korneyev)

Information

Composer: Mieczysław Weinberg

• Symphony No. 12 (In Memoriam D. Shostakovich)
• Flute Concerto in D minor, Op. 75

Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra / Maxim Shostakovich, conductor

Alexander Korneyev, flute / Moscow Chamber Orchestra / Rudolf Barshai, conductor

Date: 1979; 1968 / 1994

Label: Russian Disc

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Description

Vainberg's Twelfth Symphony was written in memory of Dmitri Shostakovich, who was both teacher and idol to the composer, as well as a friend for many decades. In 1967 Vainberg wrote: "I always learn from Shostakovich's works, learn all the different aspects of the craft of composition. I always feel proud when in conferences, talks, in the press they call me a pupil of Shostakovich, though I've never taken a lesson from him, only showed him regularly, at home, all my compositions with opus number. For me, the acquaintance with the music of Shostakovich was equal to discovering a new continent."

Vainberg wrote his Twelfth Symphony a year after the death of Shostakovich. He was not aiming at either creating a portrait of the great composer or of quoting his compositions. Rather, the symphony coveys an idea of the common character of every living thing, the eternity of the beautiful and of art. However, the main lyrico-epic character of the symphony, its inner self, is associated with Shostakovich's music, which is reflected by either the sudden approach of the epic nature of the themes in the first movement to Shostakovich's tone poem The Execution of Stepan Razin, or the timbral allusions of the third movement (a combination of high-pitched violins and low-pitched basses) suddenly bringing recollections of Shostakovich's lyrical motives. In the unpretentious tunes of the children's theme in the finale, in the marimba playing, incidental intonations of Shostakovich's Immortality, to words by Michelangelo, may be heard.

To emphasize the super-personal concept of the symphony, Vainberg chose a lyrico-epic dramatic idea, which basically presupposes the unification of contrasting themes. The dramatic episodes that appear sometimes are smoothed out in the process of narration without disturbing them. This takes place already in the first movement, done in the form of a sonata allegro, where the contrast between the severe and heroic nature of the main theme and the secondary one is smoothed down during the development but is strengthened in the culminating coda with the help of the cymbals. The heavy, scherzo-like development of the second movement regains equilibrium between the genre and dramatic themes. The melodic adagio of the third movement brings back a lyrical mood, where the main theme attains different variations, including a marked march-like character, which is at times whimsical and at times mysterious. The complexity and multitude of themes in the rondo-like finale resemble those of Shostakovich's symphonies. It creates, by means of art, a model of human life - complicated, recurrent, but unique. As a remembrance of the first movement, the mournful, lofty intonations of the secondary theme can be heard. They represent deeply personal thoughts, as personal as Vainberg's own thoughts about the person who was so dear to him. In his symphony the composer has poured all the love and devotion which he felt for this great man.

It took Vainberg ten days - from July 18 to 27, 1961 - to write his flute concerto. The premiere performance took place on November 25, 1961 in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Rudolf Barshai and the flute solo played by Alexander Kornilov, to whom the composer dedicated his concerto.

The concerto captivates the listener with its youthful spontaneity of thought, clear and precise form, and the generally radiant and vivacious mood which it creates. Its sparkling music abounds in youthful vigor and enthusiasm.

The work is in the classical form, based on the contrasting character of the three movements (allegro - largo - allegro comodo). In the first movement and the finale, the composer uses the tremendous potential of the solo flute, which is an extremely flexible and virtuoso instrument. The opening and closing cascades of ingenious passages, brilliant trills, gentle and graceful repetitions create an atmosphere of joy, humor and mild irony. The middle section, flowing uninterruptedly into the finale, is full of lyrical thought, while the flute unfolds its somewhat melancholy melody which the orchestra reechoes in different voices.

The first movement opens with the main theme in the flute against a pizzicato background in the strings. The powerful momentum of the main theme is carried over by the orchestral line. The second theme does not bring any significant contrast, being just another interpretation of the same idea associated with the theme of youth and vivacity. A short elaboration of this musical idea is based on an intensive development of both themes in the orchestra. The composer deliberately pushes the flute, his main instrument, into the background, to make it acquire a new timbral coloring in the reprise which repeats the opening material of the movement.

The second movement begins with the flute unfolding a lyrical, melancholy motif against the muted background of the strings. At the end, the flute recapitulates with expression against the mellow orchestral line, providing a thematic base for the main part of the finale. This is first introduced by the solo violin and, after a short elaboration, is carried on by the flute. The second, pastoral, theme of the finale has a marked dance rhythm. The finale abounds in subtle coloristic episodes - flageolets in the strings and glissandos from the solo cello, col legno in the strings and witty repetitions on the flute. The concerto ends with a sweeping presentation of the main theme, full of glamor and vivacity.

— Marina Ter-Mikaelian

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Mieczysław Weinberg (8 December 1919 – 26 February 1996) was a Polish-born Soviet and Russian composer and pianist. Born in Warsaw to a family connected with Yiddish theatre, he fled Poland in 1939 following the German invasion and settled in the Soviet Union, where he gained the support of Dmitri Shostakovich. Weinberg became a prolific and respected composer, particularly during the 1960s, when his concert and film music achieved considerable recognition. His later years were marked by declining health and reduced official support. International appreciation of his music grew significantly in the 1990s.

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Maxim Shostakovich (born 10 May 1938) is a Russian-American conductor, the second child of Dmitri Shostakovich. He studied at the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories under Igor Markevitch and Otto-Werner Mueller. He later became principal conductor of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, where he conducted the premiere of his father's 15th Symphony in 1972. In 1981, Maxim defected to West Germany and subsequently settled in the United States. In 1990s, he returned to St. Petersburg, where he continued conducting and performing. He has recorded a cycle of his father's 15 symphonies for Supraphon.

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Alexander Korneyev (19 June 1930 – 31 August 2010) was a Russian flutist, conductor and teacher. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory and gained recognition after winning several competitions, including the first Prague Flute Competition in 1959. He served as solo flutist with the All-Soviet Union Radio and Television Orchestra for nearly 30 years and performed with leading musicians. A founding member of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Korneyev premiered numerous works by both Soviet and Western composers. He joined the Moscow Conservatory faculty in 1962 and taught there for more than five decades.

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