Mieczysław Weinberg - Symphony No. 19; The Banners of Peace (Vladimir Lande)

Information

Composer: Mieczysław Weinberg

• Symphony No. 19 'Bright May', Op. 142
• The Banners of Peace - Symphonic Poem, Op. 143

St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra

Vladimir Lande, conductor

Date: 2012

Label: Naxos

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Mieczyslaw Weinberg couldn’t write bad music if he wanted to. His Nineteenth Symphony was composed in 1985 to commemorate the end of the Second World War. Cast in a single movement, the music is hardly celebratory, if by that we mean pompous and noisy. The music essentially represents repeated efforts to find peace. Woodwinds imitate birdsong, at first frighteningly (vultures?) and at last tranquilly. More warlike elements intervene at regular intervals; the overall atmosphere is seldom actually joyous. The symphony ends softly, in a mood that recalls the conclusion of Honegger’s Symphonie liturgique. It’s a very serious piece, no doubt about it.

As for the symphonic poem The Banners of Peace, again, the actual music belies the propaganda suggested by the title. The work allegedly employs some revolutionary songs as thematic material, but these sound as much like Weinberg as American tunes do Copland or English folksong Vaughan Williams. Dating from the same year as the symphony, the music is obviously cut from the same cloth. That said, I wouldn’t play both works at a single sitting; the overall impression might come across as excessively glum, and the earnestness of both of these pieces deserves independent consideration. It may not be music of immediate appeal, but it does grow on you.

The performances represent the music well. Weinberg writes very difficult solo parts, especially for horns and trumpets, and while there are a couple of perilous moments, the players handle them bravely. Vladimir Lande conducts both works sympathetically, although in the symphony a slightly swifter basic tempo might have been appropriate. The sonics are vivid, warm, and well-balanced. Good stuff.

— David Hurwitz

-----------------------------------------------------------

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.

***

Vladimir Lande (born 1962 in Leningrad) is a Russian-American conductor. A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he has led major orchestras across Russia, Europe, North and South America, including the Baltimore Symphony, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra and Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with prominent soloists. His extensive discography has earned international critical acclaim and prestigious awards. An advocate of contemporary music, he has recorded over 30 CDs and is known for championing composers such as Weinberg, Respighi and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

-----------------------------------------------------------