“… Sound, performance, and the music itself are thoroughly recommended.”

“… this is a significant recording of one of Weinberg’s most ambitious symphonies …” - Huntley Dent

“… The performances are expert and the sound is excellent. I hope that Chandos will continue this series of Weinberg symphonies.”  - Mark Novak

Performance ****    Sonics ****

Classical CD Choice Best Discs of 2023

“…Of all the excavations of characterful 20th century music, few are as important as the current dusting-off of the music of Weinberg. The performance here is top-notch.”

Editor’s Choice – Orchestral Section

“…The disc is a welcome offshoot from the ongoing work on Shostakovich’s symphonies by John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic, and displays the same high level of stylistic discernment and emotional... There are great solos, intense conversations between orchestral groups, pregnant pauses and enigmatic moments. How it all hangs together may be unclear on a first listening but the music compels the listener to repeat the experience.”

Sound 10      Booklet 10      Repertoire 10     Interpretation 9

Recommended

“…Throughout both works, Storgårds directs the BBC Philharmonic with great commitment and secures magnificent playing from his musicians. The solo passages from the woodwind and brass department are outstanding…  I would recommend this new Chandos disc for its superb performance and state-of-the-art recording… This new release is recommended to those interested in the less well-known composers of 20th-century music.”

“Weinberg’s 12th Symphony in Storgard’s capable hands has all the gravity and forcefulness one could wish for … Of all the excavations of characterful 20th century music, few are as important as the current dusting-off of the music of Weinberg. The performance here is top-notch.”

“…This is a truly valuable exhumation of a little-known work [Symphony No 12] of great historical moment, dazzlingly performed by the BBC Philharmonic and its chief conductor John Storgards…”

Recommended

“…As this dazzling recording by Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic unequivocally proves, the riches of Soviet music, still so little appreciated in the West, extends far beyond Shostakovich.”