Mieczyslaw WEINBERG (1919-1996)
Symphony No 6, Op 79*
Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, Op 47, No 1
Glinka Choral College Boys’ Choir*
St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra • Vladimir Lande

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.