St Petersburg State So:Lande - Weinberg: Symphony No. 6

Weinberg is increasingly recognised as one of the outstanding composers of the second half of the twentieth century. His Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes is a concise medley of tunes that embrace folk influence, both melancholic and high spirited, culminating in a joyous and unstoppable dance. Scored for a very large orchestra and a children's choir, Symphony No. 6 is a work of huge expression, anguished and dynamic, encompassing lament, circus gallops, burlesque, and a cataclysmic and heartrending slow movement. Weinberg's friend, Shostakovich, was so impressed that he used it as teaching material in his own classes.Weinberg's music is receiving widespread attention and recording. It shares some similarity with the music of Shostakovich and those interested in, or curious about, Polish and Russian music of the time will find this release of particular interest. As will those who wish to follow the path of Soviet symphonism in the twentieth century.Vladimir Lande is Principal Guest Conductor of the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra (Russia). He is guest conductor of the National Gallery Orchestra, Washington D.C., Music Director of the Washington Soloists Chamber Orchestra, the COSMIC Symphony Orchestra, and Johns Hopkins University Chamber Orchestra.