Meredith Willson - Symphonies Nos 1 and 2

Meredith WILLSON (1902-1984)

Symphony 1 in F Minor

Symphony 2 in E Minor

Moscow Symphony Orchestra

William Stromberg

Meredith Willson (1902-1984) will be known - if for anything - for his two successful musicals and perhaps some film music (among other things orchestrating the music for Chaplin's The Great Dictator). His concert music is, however, well worth hearing, if not exactly anything that will change the face of the earth. Both symphonies here are pastoral, modest and enjoyable, tuneful and relatively harmonically conservative.

The first symphony is eclectic, especially in the outer movements, and not particularly coherent as a symphony, yet certainly enjoyable and eminently likeable, though perhaps a little overlong. The second symphony is more concentrated, even if it is equally eclectic - traces of Respighi and Hanson are certainly present. It is also superbly scored, with particularly fine woodwind writing (especially in the third movement). It is not a great symphony, by no means, but very enjoyable, although the slow movement is the only one that attempts to penetrate some depths.

I get something of the same feeling from this issue as I got from Naxos's George Templeton Strong issues - well-written, somewhat `cartoon-like' atmospheric, eclectic music; appealing and enjoyable but hardly more than that (not that there is anything necessarily wrong about that). The performances are generally rather good, but the Muscovites seem more assured in the second symphony. All in all a recommendable release.

It was probably not an objective of conductor William T. Stromberg to manifest an essential Russian late serf-period flavour within Willson's Americana symphonic compositions, performed here by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, but it's clearly present! Meredith Willson was, in fact, the poster representation of an American composer, (Born Robert Meredith Reiniger, 1902-1984), who also worked as a playwright. So, right away, we have here a unique interpretation and presentation of two great symphonies.

Beyond that, the music on this CD can be termed "extremely interesting" at a minimum, and certain facets of the two symphonies are quite brilliantly conceived. The Willson composition that I recall hearing (ad nauseum) most clearly from my youth is the vibrant tune, "Seventy-six Trombones," (penned in 1957, not included on this CD), a song that I never cared for in the slightest. Had I known ahead of time that he composed that particular piece, I probably would have deprived myself of this fine album out of pure stupid spite - but nothing in here reeks even vaguely of "Seventy-six Trombones".

Each of these two symphonies shares certain commonalities: they both represent the age of Modern Music. Additionally, they each clearly manifest "Program Music". Finally, both symphonies are entirely instrumental.

In Willson's "Symphony No. 1 in F minor, 'A Symphony of San Francisco'," (circa 1936, 38:35 in length), the work was written to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake, (which occurred in 1906); however, I ignored that historic premise as I listened to the music because I wanted to provide information about what it actually sounded like to me, instead of what it was supposed to represent programmatically.

First Movement - A very nice dynamic symphonic opening and the listener will perk right up when s/he hears, near the end of the movement, a full measure of musical theme that appears to have been directly hijacked, (unintentionally, in my opinion), from George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," composed a decade earlier in 1924! At 16:17, this is the longest movement of the work.

Second Movement - This segment is an indifferent, wandering, and dreary arabesque of sorts. As each crescendo builds and some "musical hope" begins to emerge, it unexpectedly crumbles off, dropping back into desolation. The movement finally winds up in an unresolved Major 6th which represents the vague hallmark of the entire movement.

Third Movement - The quickly-paced opening is something of a woodwind adventure, and here you'll hear the fantastical Russian ambiance of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra launching right through. The meter eventually retreats as the strings become more prevalent with an undefined meter, which still brings to mind a waltz. Upon a return to the quick meter, the original theme from the beginning of the movement is punctuated with sub-Saharan African timpani.

Fourth Movement - We return to an arabesque, slow-moving, and building in the minor key with linear objectives. This effect moves on eventually to a rumba of timpani and eventually on to strong brass and percussion elements, ultimately concluding in the major key. This final movement manifests the very essence of Modern Music.

The "Symphony No. 2 in E minor, `The Missions of California'," (31:47 in length, having debuted under the baton of Albert Coates in April, 1940, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic), is a more mature work and the better of the two symphonies not, however, to diminish the excellent qualities of Symphony No. 1.

First Movement - A determined string section opens the work, interfacing with intermittent woodwinds at various meters. Here, a Spanish influence is wielded, (quite appropriately to the symphony title). Somewhere around the middle of the movement, I detected a bridge of elemental scale-work, and then a return to the themes of the introduction. You'll know right off that this symphony is all about Modern Music.

Second Movement - This music manifests the very pinnacle of the entire CD, Willson having captured here some of the most lovely and beautiful melodies that you'll ever encounter in Classical Music, quite comparable to Dvorak's "New World Symphony No. 9," Second Movement. It opens in a melodic and Tchaikovsky-like "gospel calm"... possibly a fugue. In fact, it eased my cat right off to a deep sleep! This is a musical entrée which is bulging with hope and loveliness - a cascade of notes which exude gardenia-scented oils on to near-calm musical waters. This movement alone is worth the price of the CD.

Third Movement - The piece opens with a perky and trilling fantasia and then shrewdly enters into "film-score music" then on to a pseudo-march, military piccolos and all.

Fourth Movement -- Ultimately, the score flattens out into a bulwark of strings, woodwinds, and an occasional bell, again, appropriate to the symphony's title.

To conclude, I had to listen to this entire CD two or three times before I eventually "got it". It definitely grows on one as does, say, a Hovhaness symphony. And kudos to Naxos for capturing the great sound rendered by a fine orchestra.

Highly recommended.