This release by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, not under music director Gustavo Dudamel but under the highly capable Thord Svedlund, is part of a series on the Chandos label devoted to the orchestral music of the Polish-born Soviet composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg. Weinberg was more obedient to the whims of Soviet cultural commissars than was his contemporary and friend Dmitry Shostakovich, but he nevertheless ran afoul of officialdom, probably because of the strong anti-Semitic streak of the Stalinist state. His music is expertly written and reflects many of the same currents as Shostakovich's. The Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 45, was composed in 1949, right after the second denunciation of Shostakovich the previous year. Weinberg's response to such strictures was less edgy than that of his friend, but the score, packed full of folk tunes from various regions, is consistently attractive. The real find here may be the Suite No. 4 from The Golden Key, Op. 55d, a ballet with elements of the Pinocchio story. These sparkling pieces (hear the three animal dances in the middle, tracks 8-10) sound like lost Prokofiev gems, and in fact you might try them out in a blind listening test on Prokofiev enthusiasts. They'd be ideal for concerts directed at young people. Chandos continues to back the Weinberg series with excellent Super Audio sound that favors every part of the composer's vast orchestral palette. The biggest objection here may be that the entire program clocks in at under 50 minutes; other music from the ballet, at the very least, could have been included.
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