Weinberg: Violin Concerto & Symphony No. 4
Mieczysław Weinberg: Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 67; Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 61
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Ilya Gringolts – violin, Jacek Kaspszyk – cond.
POMATON / WARNER CLASSICS (Nov. 24, 2014)
The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra releases its first CD ‘Warsaw Philharmonic: Weinberg Symphony No. 4 & Violin Concerto’ in the Polish market under its exclusive four-year contract with Warner Classics. The album was recorded in the orchestra’s home, National Philharmonic Hall, conducted by its Music Director Jacek Kaspszyk, and featuring a violin solo by the Russian-born virtuoso Ilya Gringolts in Weinberg’s Violin Concerto in G minor.
Mieczysław Weinberg was one of the twentieth century’s most powerful and prolific composers, whose music has been rediscovered over the past few years. Coming from a musical family, Weinberg debuted as a young pianist at the age of ten and studied under the direction of Karol Szymanowski. He soon was forced to flee from anti-Semitism and the Nazis in 1943 and began composing music in Moscow. However, Weinberg was not safe in Russia for long and was arrested by the Soviet Union in 1953. Luckily, he was released after Stalin’s death from the support of his acclaimed colleague Dmitri Shostakovich. Despite his perilous and arduous life, Weinberg composed 27 symphonies, 17 string quartets, 28 sonatas for various instruments, 7 operas and soundtracks for 65 films, plays, and productions before his passing in 1999.
[Source: thenews.pl, classical.net, warnermusic.pl]