Symphony No. 2

Weinberg’s Second Symphony is music in the shadow of war, expressing grief, bewilderment, and a fragile sense of hope. The work was completed in January 1946, soon after Weinberg had learned that his entire family had perished in Nazi-occupied Poland. Weinberg himself had fled, settling in Moscow at the suggestion of his new friend Dmitri Shostakovich. The Second Symphony is written for string orchestra and is in three movements, fast-slow-fast. The first theme is relaxed and confident, but the mood soon turns dark. When we expect the main theme to reappear, Weinberg instead gives us an eerie violin solo, a portent of death. The second movement opens with an optimistic chorale from the lower strings, but its message of hope must resist increasingly oppressive textures from the violins. The final movement is more animated and rhythmic, suggesting the influence of Shostakovich. It ends quietly, not in despair but rather with a mood of serenity and calm.