August 12, 2015

  • Historic Concertos from Russia

     Weinberg: Concertos

    Mstislav Rostropovich, cello.  USSR State Symphony Orchestra/Gennady Rozhdestvensky
    Leonid Kogan, violin.  Moscow State Philharmonic Society Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin
    Alexander Korneyev, flute. Moscow Chamber Orchestra/Rudolf Barshai
    Melodiya 10 02315
    Total Time:  69:37
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Moisey Weinberg (sometimes spelled Vainberg) was a Polish-born Soviet composer and contemporary of Shostakovich.  The latter friendship began when Weinberg (1919-1996) sent his first symphony to the esteemed composer in Moscow.  The only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, he would then nearly escape execution after the “Doctor’s Plot”—a bit of Soviet era retaliation for Weinberg’s views on formalism.  By the 1960s, his music was gaining support among such artists as Kondrashin and Emil Gilels.  His output is rather amazing, with some 20 symphonies to his credit of over 150+ works.  There have been some gradual releases of his music in the West with Chandos leading the way in a variety of first modern-era releases.

    Melodiya is re-entering the CD market and a host of historic albums are now making their way to CD (some for the very first time available in the West).  The present recording is one of these important releases focusing on three significant concerti by Weinberg.  Each of the works here are performed by the artists that premiered the pieces in the 1960s and who are captured here in these concert recordings.  In one sense, the release has a sort of “you are there” feel.  It gives us a window in to the premieres of these three different works by the finest Soviet artists and orchestras of the 1960s.

    One is hard pressed to think of a time when Mstislav Rostropovich was not at the top of his game.  In the 1960s, he practically exploded onto the Western classical radar with now classic performances of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto.  The Weinberg, recorded in 1964 should easily be counted along with that performance as a significant testament both to Rostropovich’s ability and to the greatness of this concerto.  The piece was composed in 1948 and is cast in four balanced sections and the style is a blend of modern romantic style with expanded harmony and often wonderful lyrical writing.  The first is a gorgeous “Adagio” with beautiful lyrical writing that has a modern tonal language that wrenches emotion from the listener.  The expressive solo line floats above often darker orchestral harmonies here with beautiful effect.  The final harmonies into the “Moderato” section are simply gorgeous.  A bit more dialogue occurs between orchestra and soloist.  The third movement is the scherzo with a lot of rapid passage work to show off the technical virtuosity of both soloist and orchestra in a dance-like series of gestures.  The fourth movement continues some of the dance-like style with a bit more brass entering into the orchestral texture as the music continues to become more agitated in a swirling dance-like idea.  There is of course some audience noise, and a bit of conductor enthusiasm as well that can be picked up.  The orchestra does fairly well to boot as they explore this new music.  Certainly this is a work that deserves a place in the repertoire.

    A little less time passed between the completion of Weinberg’s Violin Concerto in g, Op. 67 (1959).  Written for the great Leonid Kogan, who performs it here, this concerto, like the earlier one, bears a four-movement model though begins with a faster-paced “Allegro molto” beginning with an explosive beginning with the violinist zipping through a variety of material that has an almost martial-like feel as well as a macabre side.  It is a bit of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, but entirely within Weinberg’s style and makes for an engaging opening.  This is a fairly intense opening movement.  The second movement continues these large swaths of string writing with anguished melodic lines that seem to be seeking to come from under darkness into light.  The lyrical writing in the second movement continues this rather personal and somewhat pained expression as the soloist eventually ends up on a very high note at the closing cadenza that moves us into an “Adagio”.  Some may also hear some of the Jewish style of Weinberg’s melodies and melodic turns in this work and here they do seem to assert themselves.  It is almost like looking backwards at the devastation and fallout in this very personal feeling concerto.  There is a greater sense of excitement as the final movement begins, though this too has an almost march-like feel as we return to the sense of the opening of the work.  Here the violin gets to explore some of its virtuosic side with angular melodic sections and a host of fast passage runs.  The orchestra continues to punctuate these ideas as the piece moves along as well.  This (apparently) studio recording is a little more immediate with a broader recording picture and soloist very forward, but balanced well with the orchestra.  The performances work quite well.

    The Flute Concerto (1961) was written for, and is performed here, by Alexander Korneyev in a recording from 1968.  The work features a string orchestra that helps provide a constant flow of energy in the opening movement as the flute flutters about in a sort of perpetuum mobile style.  Melodic writing when it becomes more angular does bear some resemblance to Shostakovich.  Weinberg’s music though always feels like modern folk dance.  The “Largo” arrives with devastating results as the strings now seem to march exhausted under a long melismatic solo line.  Harmonies are rather fascinating as well in what becomes an often stunning movement.  The final movement is also interesting in demonstrating more dialogue between the soloist and orchestra.  The concerto as a whole is an engaging work, certainly worthy of more attention.

    The sound for these Melodiya recordings from the 1960s is overall superb.  The live recording for the Rostropovich is not in any way a distraction.  The release is significant not just for introducing these amazing concerti, but also as a testament to the virtuosity of each of the performers heard here.  All are at the top of their game and even if one comes at this disc for one of those performances, the other works will certainly be as interesting.  This is indeed a welcome release.