Firma Melodiya presents an album of Moisey Weinberg’s instrumental concertos interpreted by distinguished domestic performers.
“One of the outstanding composers of modern times”, Dmitri Shostakovich spoke about Weinberg. Weinberg’s artistic personality was formed from a blend of three cultures – Polish, Jewish and Russian. Similar to Shostakovich, he reproduced the spirit of the era, hopes and feelings of the contemporaries in his music. That is perhaps why it has so many sorrowful, tragic pages.
A symphonist by nature, Weinberg devoted much attention to the genre of the concerto. Thisalbum features the composer’s most significant works in the area.
Weinberg was on friendly terms with some of the greatest performers of his time. So, the second edition of his large-scale Cello Concerto (1956), that was conceptually close to a symphony, was performed for the first time by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. The Violin Concerto (1959), sharply dramatic and at the same time full of virtuosic lustre, was dedicated to the prominent violinist Leonid Kogan. The Concerto for flute and string orchestra (1961), that revived the traditions of neoclassicism, was written for the flutist Alexander Korneyev and the first ever Soviet chamber ensemble – the Moscow Chamber Orchestra – conducted by Rudolf Barshai.