Weigl: Symphony No. 3 in B-flat / Symphonic Prelude to a Tragedy

The two works recorded here – Symphony No. 3 in B-flat and “Symphonic Prelude to a Tragedy” – were composed in close succession at the beginning of the 1930s. Stylistically, Karl Weigl’s works, rooted in tonal systems, drew on the sound world of late Romanticism, an aesthetic he never abandoned in favor of the more progressive trends emerging at the time. The themes are developed and transformed in a variety of ways, creating ever-new colors and nuances, while Weigl’s mastery of orchestration is evident both in the hymn-like climaxes and in the restrained moments that at times seem almost chamber-like in conception. Neither the Third Symphony nor the “Symphonic Prelude” was performed during Weigl’s lifetime. Like many of his larger works, these scores were only examined decades later, following a renewed interest in his music. This recording now makes them audible to the public for the first time. Jürgen Bruns conducts the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.