|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
NEOS 11128CD
|
2011 release. The famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovich became acquainted with Weinberg through the agency of Shostakovich, who wrote his First Cello Concerto for this much sought-after artist in 1959. Weinberg's Second Cello Sonata, written at the same time, may have been a response to Shostakovich's piece, although he always stressed his artistic independence from the elder master. Rather, these two figures were connected by a fruitful dialogue. They showed each other their new works for appraisal and drew mutual inspiration from each other. Most of all, Shostakovich championed the younger Weinberg, even in politically difficult times. Remarkably, the main theme from Shostakovich's Cello Concerto recurs in the finale of Weinberg's Second Cello Sonata. Friendship can hardly be expressed more closely than that. The Piano Quintet, op. 18, is one of the most remarkable compositions to emerge from the Second World War. It was premiered in Moscow on 18 March 1945 by Emil Gilels and the strings of the Bolshoy Theatre. There is also a recording made in the early 1960s with the Borodin Quartet and Weinberg at the piano. The extroverted character of some of its passages may relate to the moving times in which the piece was conceived. Like Shostakovich's famous counterpart, Weinberg's Piano Quintet has five movements, including two scherzos that give the piece its propulsive dynamism, along with the fiery finale. In contrast, the slow movement and the introductory Moderato are richly expressive with a strong tinge of melancholy. At times we seem to be listening to a musical memorial. Performed by: EOS-Quartett Wien: Willy Buchler (violin), Christian Blasl (violin), Roman Bernhart (viola), Andreas Pokorny (violoncello), and Doris Adam (piano).
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
NEOS 11129CD
|
2011 release. "Three Palms for string quartet and soprano, op. 120" (1977): A poem by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814-1841) speaks of three palm trees in the Arabian desert. Weinberg used this text as the basis of his like-named work, scored for the unusual combination of soprano and string quartet. The character of this 20-minute work, conceived in 1977, comes from its mixture of chamber music, song cycle and cantata. Stylistically it is uncommonly expressive, interspersed with many lyrical passages. Its model was surely Arnold Schoenberg's Second String Quartet, op. 10 (1908), which likewise adds a soprano voice to the sound of a string quartet. Schoenberg's work, too, comes to terms with a profoundly personal experience -- a relation likewise important to Weinberg in his op. 120. In Lermontov's poem, three palm trees complain to God about their uselessness. "Trio for Violin, Viola and Violoncello op. 48" (1950): Mieczys?aw Weinberg wrote his String Trio, op. 48, as early as 1950, but the work remained unpublished for many years, and until 2007 it existed only the form of an autograph score. Its origins in the Stalin years may have affected its earnest character. It has been suggested that Weinberg envisioned a performance by musicians at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, but in the end the work only resurfaced after his death. "Trumpet Concerto in B-flat major, op. 94" (1967): Unlike Shostakovich, the ever-curious Weinberg also wrote concertos for otherwise neglected instruments, including the flute, clarinet and trumpet. The latter instrument also plays a leading role in Russia's circus music. In the Soviet period, these spectacles were even managed by a specially appointed government authority. Many leading composers wrote music for acrobats and clowns under the Big Top. Performed by: Talia Or (soprano), EOS-Quartett Wien, Kana Matsui (violin), Johannes Flieder (viola), Christoph Stradner (violoncello), Jurgen Ellensohn (trumpet), Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg, Gerard Korsten (conductor).
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD/SACD
|
|
NEOS 11127CD
|
"The Weinberg retrospective at the Bregenz Festival in 2010 was centred round the world stage premiere of his opera, The Passenger, but with over twenty other works it opened a door onto the incredible richness in this forgotten composer's oeuvre. Weinberg felt compelled to compose to justify his survival from the Holocaust -- the sole member of his family to do so, and his magnificent output of symphonic and chamber music is full of the melancholy and defiance that survival engendered. We are very grateful to NEOS for enabling others to participate in the resurrection of this inspired and important composer." - David Pountney. Requiem, performed by: Elena Kelessidi, soprano. Wiener Sangerknaben, Gerald Wirth, choirmaster. Prague Philharmonic Choir, Lukas Vasilek, choirmaster. Wiener Symphoniker, Vladimir Fedoseyev, conductor. Stereo/multichannel hybrid SACD that can be played on any CD player.
|
|
|
|