Mieczysław Weinberg’s musical debt to Dmitri Shostakovich is immense. For music lovers who love the latter, the music of the former is an absolute must. The same kind of sonic universe, the same plunge, more often than not, into dramatic outpourings of hyper-romantic character, but clothed in modern harmonies and melodies propelled by purposeful rhythms and often screaming with action and intensity. This album bears powerful witness to Weinberg’s attachment to this aesthetic, while also demonstrating the composer’s ability to transcend his spiritual master. Symphony No. 12 Op. 114 “In memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich”, as its title suggests, is Weinberg’s tribute to Shostakovich. But it is also, ironically, one of the symphonies – at least up to this point in Weinberg’s career – in which he departs furthest from the style of his mentor and friend. The work opens with grating harmonies, which rub against each other with a rough edge. A few woodwind passages recall the dreamier episodes of Shostakovich’s 10th, then the orchestra becomes tense, nervous, and anguished.
