The 3rd Symphony op. 45 tells of a difficult time. Since 1943, Weinberg, who had had to flee his hometown of Warsaw in 1939, had been living and working in Moscow. Dmitri Shostakovich had become a close friend and as an aspiring young composer Weinberg had quickly found his place in the circle of Moscow musicians. Here Weinberg was increasingly criticised for his advanced style of composition.

The 1st Flute Concerto op. 75, composed by Weinberg in 1961, makes a clear reference to Jewish music, especially in the gentle and light-footed waltz gesture of the 3rd movement, which Weinberg himself may have played at Jewish weddings as a young Warsaw pianist.

The 7th Symphony turns out to be a kind of baroque concerto grosso transposed into a contemporary context. In the five movements, which follow one another attaccca, the entire sound spectrum of the string instruments is explored in an interplay between harpsichord and strings.

Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996)

Symphony No. 7, Op. 81
for String Orchestra and Harpsichord
I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegro – Adagio sostenuto
III. Andante
IV. Adagio sostenuto
V. Allegro – Adagio sostenuto

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Kirill Gerstein, harpsichord

Flute Concerto No. 1, Op. 75
I. Allegro molto
II. Largo – attacca
III. Allegro comodo

Marie-Christine Zupancic, flute
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 45
for Large Orchestra

I. Allegro
II. Allegro giocoso
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro vivace

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

MIRGA GRAŽINYTĖ-TYLA, conductor