Symphony No 5 'Apocalyptic Symphony' (1945) / Phantastisches Intermezzo

"Weigl is clearly a composer of some interest and the commitment of the performances, not to mention the outstanding engineering, deserves the highest commendation." (BBC Music)

Few people today have heard of Karl Weigl (1881-1949). He grew up in Austria and fought for his country in World War One. A precocious musical talent he received private lessons from Zemlinsky as a youth. Anton Webern was a fellow student at the University of Vienna and Weigl was also on friendly terms with Schönberg. Gustav Mahler engaged him as a répétiteur at the Vienna Opera. After serving his country in the First World War Weigl became a professor at the New Vienna Conservatory. His Phantastisches Intermezzo (included on this recording) was performed by Furtwängler and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and other compositions were widely performed by such prominent figures as George Szell, the Busch Quartet and the singer Elisabeth Schumann. With the rise of Hitler Weigl felt it prudent to flee with his family to the USA. Here he managed to establish himself as teacher but clearly the interruption in his career as a composer meant that his music did not receive nearly as much notice as it merited. In recent decades we have witnessed a renaissance in the fortunes of those other contemporary Viennese composers Zemlinsky and Korngold. Surely it is high time for Weigl's star to rise again. Schoenberg saw him as "one of the best composers of the old school" who carried on the "glittering Viennese tradition". There is plenty of glitter in his fifth symphony, very appropriately named Apocalyptic, which is a splendidly late-romantic work, melodious and sonorous - though the beginning may raise a few eyebrows as the orchestra saunters in and starts to tune up before a mighty voice in the brass insistently brings them to order! Thomas Sanderling has taken upon himself the task of rescuing Weigl's music from unjust neglect and he proves a highly sympathetic interpreter of this music and we welcome back the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra whose recent Liszt-disc has received such a warm welcome.