Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996)

[Daverz]

Oh? The Violin Concerto has been a disappointment to me, but maybe I get it's greatness someday...

Which recording?

[71 dB]

Which recording?

Grubert/Yablonsky/Naxos

Should not be a bad performance. I just think Weinberg isn't very original with this work. It sounds as if the concerto is a prisoner of the solo violin and the orchestra (what orchestra plays) seems a bit tame.

[Mirror Image]

I'm also not very fond of Weinberg's Violin Concerto. Not a very memorable work and certainly not one of his better compositions IMHO.

[71 dB]

I'm also not very fond of Weinberg's Violin Concerto. Not a very memorable work and certainly not one of his better compositions IMHO.

I'm not saying the Violin Concerto is a bad composition. It's good and Adagio has got the Weinbergian feel and mood, but yes, I have heard more striking works by him.

[Mirror Image]

I'm not saying the Violin Concerto is a bad composition. It's good and Adagio has got the Weinbergian feel and mood, but yes, I have heard more striking works by him.

Hmmm...I don't recall you saying it was a bad composition. I believe I was the one who remarked it wasn't a particularly strong work.

[relm1]

Just curious, does anyone have the new DVD of The Passenger? I am curious about it, it seems to be the same production as the blu ray.  Is this the case, or is it worth buying a 2nd version?

It is excellent.  Very moving and powerful work with excellent acting.  I could imagine it making quite an impact seeing it live.

[amw]

Concertos maybe aren't Weinberg's strongest are (?).

The Cello and Trumpet Concertos are the main exceptions I think, both quite strong works (in different ways)

[71 dB]

The Cello and Trumpet Concertos are the main exceptions I think, both quite strong works (in different ways)

Well, I haven't heard those two works yet.  0:)

[Daverz]

Grubert/Yablonsky/Naxos

Should not be a bad performance. I just think Weinberg isn't very original with this work. It sounds as if the concerto is a prisoner of the solo violin and the orchestra (what orchestra plays) seems a bit tame.

That's an OK performance.  But an performance doesn't have to be bad to fail to connect.  You're description of the music is definitely not what I hear in the Kogan recording.

[asin]B00YCAU3HY[/asin]

It's on the streaming services, as well.

[71 dB]

It's on the streaming services, as well.

True. I listened to it on Spotify. Much faster.

[Scion7]

Well, Shostakovich wasn't always spot-on with his concertos, either - the Cello concertos are very good, his violin concertos tend to meander.  They aren't bad, but they aren't his greatest works.

[71 dB]

Listening to this:

[asin]http://B002K3GP2C[/asin]

Superb stuff!  0:) Weinberg seems to shine in chamber music. Good sound, great playing. Recommended dics!

[Wieland]

Over the weekend I listened to this for the first time. The more I get acquainted with his last compositions the more I believe that he is one of the greatest composer of the 20th century.

[asin]B00P2U7CYU[/asin]

[André]

*pounds the table* 

[vandermolen]

Over the weekend I listened to this for the first time. The more I get acquainted with his last compositions the more I believe that he is one of the greatest composer of the 20th century.

[asin]B00P2U7CYU[/asin]

I'm inclined to agree although I don't know the chamber symphonies. Symphony 5 is my favourite work of those I know.

[Scion7]

Been doing some viola early-morning listening.
This stuff is very good - unaccompanied non-piano pieces of this length - yet still maintaining interest - is not an easy thing to pull off.
Where was this guy all these years?

[asin]B00365QSFM[/asin]

[The new erato]

Listening to this:

[asin]http://B002K3GP2C[/asin]

Superb stuff!  0:) Weinberg seems to shine in chamber music. Good sound, great playing. Recommended dics!

I totally agree.

[vandermolen]

Tempted by this. Any views on it?
Symphony 22 was the last one, orchestrated by someone else after the composer's death.
[asin]B0176N4C48[/asin]

[Harry]

I'm also not very fond of Weinberg's Violin Concerto. Not a very memorable work and certainly not one of his better compositions IMHO.

I would like to agree to disagree. In my opinion the Violin concerto is one of the best works Weinberg wrote.
Always to remember that liking or disliking is a personal choice, and does not say anything about the musical quality of the work.
Do not condemn a work to "certainly not one of his best compositions" on the basis of a personal like or dislike.
Reading the score tells me that this composition is as carefully written as any of his other works.

[jlaurson]

I agree with Harry re: Violin Concerto. Apart from my difference in opinion (I think it's a really, really good work), also with regards to my high opinion (or your low one) not in-and-of-itself making it either great or not great. That's probably where consensus is more useful (or maybe, though not to my taste, a musicological analysis)... and the consensus is that it's not shabby.

Speaking of Weinberg -- a review (in German) about the new set of solo violin sonatas.

http://www.swr.de/swr2/musik/cd-tipps/weinberg-sonaten-fuer-violine-solo-roth/-/id=12628344/did=17593596/nid=12628344/1bdix37/index.html

Been doing some viola early-morning listening.
This stuff is very good - unaccompanied non-piano pieces of this length - yet still maintaining interest - is not an easy thing to pull off.
Where was this guy all these years?

Great stuff, huh! Here's an essay/portrait on that disc, if you are interested:
Through Labor and Love: Weinberg, War and Persecution
Interview with Julia Rebekka Adler