Weinberg: Complete Music for Cello and Orchestra (CD Review)

by Ryan Ross

Nikolay Shugaev, cellist; Yuri Medianik, conductor; Tyumen Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.574679

Now this is what I’m talking about! When Mieczysław Weinberg was at his best, as with each of the three works on this recording, his music is a pleasure to listen to. It’s not that he was the most original composer who ever lived, and certainly not one of the greatest. Yes, yes: Shostakovich haunts these proceedings to varying degrees. But never mind all of that; Weinberg had enough moxie of his own to provide a thoroughly satisfying, even memorable listening experience when he wanted to. Usually this happened more toward the beginning of his career, before he adopted an austere style poorly suited to his gifts. As I suggested in my last Weinberg CD review, when he was direct, the results could be wonderful. And here we have three slices of wonderful directness.

 

At first glance this disc would seem to be something of a rip-off. The Concertino for Cello and String Orchestra is actually an early version of the bigger Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. But these two works, while clearly sharing much material, are yet different enough from one another that they can be considered separate compositions. In fact, I find listening to and comparing them to be an enjoyable venture. To be honest I very much like both and am not sure I actually prefer the more developed concerto. It’s almost twice as long, due to more “worked out” passages that share ideas with its predecessor mostly across roughly the first three movements of each. But the concertino (note its ensemble scoring for strings rather than full orchestra), while a slighter score, is also somehow cozier and more intimate. I think it’s that the concerto adds almost an entire whole movement’s worth of material toward the end that wasn’t there before. This finale, while ending on a calmer profile (as in the concertino), begins with what is essentially another quick section after the scherzo-like material in each version. While I find the added section’s themes compelling, it might be a little too much of a good thing after the preceding bars – gilding the lily, as it were. But then again maybe not. I’ve heard enough tedious Weinberg not to be too ungrateful when he’s consistently good across a single work, not to mention two iterations of the same one. They are enjoyable all the way through, and full of wit and affecting beauty.

The remaining piece is the Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra, completed in 1953. Cast in one movement, it clocks in at just under the length of the concertino. And it is very nearly as eventful. Things start off with one of Weinberg’s signature slow, moody themes that’s just a bit quirky. Before it wears out it's welcome we come to a jaunty, rondo-like section that is great fun and also oddly touching. There’s a cadenza toward the end, near where the first theme returns. The latter then appears in tandem with a new theme in a coda-like passage. Like the other works here, the Fantasia ends quietly. I had not heard it before listening to this recording, and was unexpectedly captivated all the way through.

 

Yuri Medianik, Nikolay Shugaev, and the Tyumen Philharmonic make a great case for this repertoire. Their playing is sharp and energetic, even in the calmer stretches. This is music of emotional intensity, and everyone rises to the occasion admirably. The recording’s sound also deserves mention: everything is especially crisp and clear. I doubt whether Weinberg’s cello-and-orchestra music needed this level of excellence merely in order to make a positive impression, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. If you’re new to the composer and want somewhere to start, here is a very good place.