Weill's Symphony No. 1, composed in 1921, was first publicly performed after his death in 1958, broadcast by Hamburg's NDR Sinfonie-Orchester.
Composer Biography
Kurt Weill's principal legacy is in music theatre, but he was equally adept at purely orchestral works, as shown by his two symphonies.
Performer Biography
HK Gruber, the conductor and vocalist on this album, was born in Vienna in 1943, sang with the Vienna Boys' Choir as a child, and is an honorary lifetime trustee of the Kurt Weill Foundation.
Composition History
Weill's Symphony No. 2 was commissioned by Princess Edmond de Polignac, an heiress of the Singer sewing machine factory who also supported composers like Milhaud, Debussy, and Ravel.
Composition History
The autograph score of Weill's first symphony was preserved in an Italian convent after being shipped from Berlin to Universal Edition in Vienna to avoid Nazi confiscation.
Critical Reception
Weill's 'play with music' Der Silbersee (The Silver Lake) premiered in February 1933 amidst Nazi riots during rehearsals and an antisemitic demonstration at its second performance.
Historical Context
Weill fled Berlin for Paris in March 1933, two months after Hitler came to power, and never returned to Germany.
