Lambert Conducts Weinberger's 'Chestnut Tree' Variations

Jaromír Weinberger

Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree is the second best-known work by the Czech composer Jaromír Weinberger (1896-1967), following his opera Schwanda the Bagpiper. If you are familiar with the latter - or its orchestral excerpts - you will know what to expect from the former: tuneful, kaleidoscopic, fascinating and charming all at once. A true successor to the dances from Smetana's The Bartered Bride.

The 1939 premiere of Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree was a high point in a decade of frustration for the composer. His works had been banned in Germany and then Austria. He fled to the US in 1939. Even so, he had difficulties in getting the new composition performed. As he wrote in the New York Times, "On Aug. 31, 1939, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London wrote me a letter, stating that my Variations Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree had been scheduled for a performance Nov. 30 at Albert Hall. Three days later the outbreak of war had postponed such a plan indefinitely."

But John Barbirolli, the music director of the New York Philharmonic, intervened with a performance on October 12 of the same year. It was well received.

The next day, Howard Taubman wrote in the Times, "The melody of Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree ... is a simple one, and Mr. Weinberger has fashioned his variations cunningly. In each of the seven variants he has attempted to evoke some English scene or sentiment, since the tune is English in its origin." The variations are titled "Her Majesty’s Virginal," "The Madrigalists," "The Dark Lady," "The Highlanders,"  "Pastorale," "Mr. Weller, Senior. Discusses Widows with His Son, Samuel Weller, Esq." [from Dickens' The Pickwick Papers] and "Sarabande."

Constant Lambert

Barbirolli did not record the work, but two other noted conductors - Constant Lambert and Artur Rodziński - quickly did so. It's not clear who was first. As I explained on another occasion, "Lambert's session with the London Philharmonic was on December 21, 1939. Sources differ on the Cleveland date: Michael Gray says it was December 13, 1939; Donald Rosenberg in The Cleveland Orchestra Story specifies January 9-10, 1940."

The Rodziński/Cleveland reading appeared a few years ago on my other blog, and has now been remastered to fix a pitch discrepancy. This post newly presents the Constant Lambert set, in good sound for the time and masterfully conducted, as always.

As you may be aware, I have been remastering and posting Lambert records here and on my main blog for some time, both from my own collection and as they have appeared on Internet Archive. This performance comes from the latter source, transferred from the US Victor pressings and remastered by me.

LINK