February 12, 2018

  • Concerti from Opposing Political Realities: Weinberg & Kabalevsky

     Kabalevsky/Weinberg: Concertos 

    Benjamin Schmid, violin.  Claire Huangci, piano.  Harriet Krijgh, cello.
    ORf Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra/Cornelius Meister
    Capriccio C5310
    Total Time:  66:34
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Placing one’s own political position and hindsight into evaluation of composers can be a slippery slope.  This is precisely what happens though as one begins reading the notes to this new Capriccio release of composers whose lives followed two quite different political paths.  Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was on the wrong side of history politically.  He sided with the Stalinists and went so far as to denounce other composers and essentially was a political opportunist.  That is no reason for the author to declare that his music “has rightly been forgotten.”  Nor is that really a true statement as the composer’s overtures, ballets, and especially the second cello concerto, has tended to stay in concert programs.  And it is not good marketing for a purchaser to open liner notes to be told that they have purchased music from an awful composer.  Whether this is to set up the dichotomy between the composer’s represented on the disc or not, it sets an unfortunate bad taste to this otherwise fascinating release of lesser-known works.

    The recording opens with the Violin Concerto in g, Op. 67 by Miecszyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996).  Weinberg is one of the equally fine composers of the period.  He entered the Warsaw Conservatory at 12 but was forced to flee when Germany attacked Poland.  Thus began his life of hardship living as a Jew in the midst of an increasingly hostile environment.  He eventually made his way to Tashkent and worked at the opera.  He sent his first symphony to Shostakovich who would provide what support he could, though this too became more difficult over time.  This 1959 concerto was among the works admired by Shostakovich.  One can certainly see why.  The work is cast in four movements with a sonata allegro opening that kicks off with the soloist presenting a strong rhythmic idea that forms one cell of the movement.  It is perhaps in the central movements though where one can hear some of Weinberg’s most intimate and stylistic writing.  This is the sort of post-1950 Romanticism that used modern harmony to expand further along Mahlerian lines, very much like Shostakovich.  The intensity of the Adagio is perhaps the most compelling with somber lyric lines.  Once we head into the final movement, we are treated to music that parallels Shostakovich.  A dotted rhythmic idea helps provide some unity here as the violin then expands upon this with delicate orchestral interjections as the piece progresses.  Here are fascinating shifts in instrumental color that create a wonderful intimacy between soloist and woodwinds in particular.  Also quite interesting are the tutti sections that have this martial-like rhythmic drive that pops up to almost intimidate the soloist.  About the only thing left to add in would be a xylophone to add bite to the orchestration a la Shostakovich.  This is easily a concerto that can stand alongside the more familiar Prokofiev works and provide excellent opportunities for virtuosity.  Schmid tackles this work quite well adding just the right bite when needed, but really bringing out the beautiful lyricism of this excellent work.  It is worth tracking down Leonid Kogan’s Melodiya recording as well for comparison.  Capriccio places the soloist very forward in the sound picture here.

    There are two works by Kabalevsky featured on the album.  The first is the Fantasy in f (1961) which is based on Schubert’s 1828 piano-four hand work (D940).  This is essentially an opportunity to explore orchestration and this is what Kabalevsky does to great effect.  He turns Schubert’s little fantasy into a Russian piano concerto, complete with a third-movement cadenza.  Written for Emil Gilels, who recorded the work as well, it is essentially a completely new piece that at times sounds like what a composer might create for a modern film.  As such it is quite a curiosity that it great pops material.  Pianist Claire Huangci fortunately understands this connection more to Rachmaninov perhaps than Schubert and the sort of semi-improvisational style that is necessary when it comes to her beautifully-rendered cadenza.

    Finally, we get a chance to hear the acclaimed Dutch cellist, Harriet Krijgh.  Krijgh has recorded a number of classic repertoire items to great acclaim.  Here she explores this first of Kabalevsky’s two concerti for the instrument.  The Cello Concerto No. 1 in g, Op 49 serves a double purpose here of both a contrasting musical voice from mid-century Soviet Russia, and a parallel exploration of g-minor.  The concerto is one of several Kabalevsky wrote to challenge young musicians—a particular interest the composer began to cultivate.  As such then this is well-balanced traditional concerto that blends traditional harmony with slight chromaticism and a sense of folkloricism in its thematic components.  The solo line has some quite touching musical moments that drip with this Romantic and accessible quality.  The grand gestures here are often gorgeously orchestrated and these colors help draw attention solely on the soloist’s own virtuosic style which gradually increases in excitement as the first movement moves along.  The center is another of these rich, Khachaturian-like, slow movements.  The finale has great give and take emotionally, but one gets a sense that here is a composer celebrating the growing talent of a new musician.  Of course, Krijgh is much further along than a starting cellist and she gives this work an excellent read through filled with great touches of wit and beauty.  If nothing else, the concerto teaches the tropes of modern concerti that a young artist will continue to be challenged with along their own performance trajectory.

    Each of the pieces here feature a sound picture where the soloist is further forward.  The balance is not necessarily “off” by any means and the orchestral accompaniment is captured well.  The full sound of both Schmid and Krijgh’s instruments is gorgeous to hear.  The orchestra provides a committed support to each soloist.  In short, this is an excellent recording worth tracking down with some accessible music all around.

    The worst part of the release are the often snide and snarky comments in the liner notes by Jens Laurson who obviously detests Kabalevsky’s music.  His dismissive commentary does nothing to provide musicological understanding objectively to the works at hand.  There is little or not discussion of the music itself, even for the Weinberg which Laurson obviously feels should not have to share disc space with Kabalevsky.  Your best bet is to drop the disc in your player and decide for yourself what you think of these three works.  The Weinberg is the masterpiece to be sure of serious concert music.  But one can say the same about the cello concerto’s ability to serve its purpose as a piece of music education for new soloists.  Either way, the album itself is excellent even if its booklet notes practically make you embarrassed for even purchasing it in the first place.