MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG (1919-1996): Symphony No. 8 "Polish Flowers", Op. 83.

Description: You'll need a bit of application to try to appreciate Weinberg's first choral symphony from 1964. In ten movements, it uses part of an epic poem by Polish author Julian Tuwim which reflects on Poland's troubled past (social inequities of industrial towns, degradation of peasants in pre-modern times, poverty and squalor of Jews, peasants and gypsies alike, alienation of urban life, the brutalization of the country by the Nazis) and closes with hopes for a bright Communist future (lose again!). All these themes are eloquently expressed with the help of a prominent tenor solo part which appears in six of the movements. But you can't read the poem, even if you use a computer, unless you read Polish. The notes succinctly describe the material illustrated in each movement. The music is, well, it's Weinberg! Polish texts available on-line. Rafal Bartminski (tenor), Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; Antoni Wit.