It’s a very good thing that Naxos has gotten around to recording Kurt Weill’s two symphonies, and quite well too. Previous issues by such conductors as Bertini (EMI, last time around), De Waart (Philips), and Nagano (Erato) had a shelf life measured in minutes, and the Second Symphony is Weill’s orchestral masterpiece, one of the great neo-classical essays in the form from the first half of the 20th century. The more gnarly First Symphony is a colorful, take-no-prisoners single movement full of chromatic angst–sort of like Honegger with less structural control, but it makes an interesting occasional listen. Robert Russell Bennett’s “Symphonic Nocturne” arranged from Lady in the Dark is put together with his customary expertise, and it should join Weill’s other theater suites in popularity. It constitutes a serious added attraction.
My current favorite performance of the Second Symphony remains Mariss Jansons’ with the Berlin Philharmonic on EMI, though heaven only knows how long it may remain available, assuming that it still is, and the couplings are different and less interesting (the angular Violin Concerto and the Mahagonny Suite). Alsop’s performance is a touch on the slow side in the central Largo, but otherwise it’s fully attuned to the music’s bittersweet poignancy. The outer movements have the right balance of urgency and elegance, and Alsop is as impressive as anyone in the First Symphony. Lady in the Dark makes a wholly positive impression as well, and the orchestra sounds fully involved. I do have a quibble with the sonics, which are very good in terms of range and impact, but are just a touch too reverberant for music that favors the woodwinds and needs to sound crisp, even a bit dry. Still, at the Naxos price, this is a terrific deal, and being part of the catalog at least ensures that the music finally may have a chance to win the friends that it surely deserves. An easy recommendation.
