(also Moisey or Moishe Vainberg, Moisey Samuilovich Vaynberg) 1919-1996.
I came across his name a few times when reading through some of the books in my Shostakovich library, particularly the book of letters from DDS to Isaak Glikman. Accordingly, I didn't hesitate when I saw in HMV a CD of Weinberg's symphony 12, "In Memorium Dmitri Shostakovich" on the budget Naxos label.
There aren't many overt references to DDS's music in this work, but I've heard several very subtle ones, and I've played the four movements over and over. I really like the sound that Weinberg's orchestrations make, which has enabled me to persist even though it's not as accessible as most of DDS's symphonies. Thanks to the miracle of youtube I've also heard a couple of other symphonies and his trumpet concerto and a similar work for the cello. The latter's first movement is eyebrow-raisingly beautiful.
He's in severe danger of ousting Boris Tishchenko as my second favourite Soviet-era Russian-based composer. Where Boris was a pupil, Moisey was a friend and neighbour of Shostakovich's in Moscow, who spoke highly of several of his compositions. Although several critics I've recently read are fairly disparaging of the music, I suspect there's much to discover that's worth repeated listens.
Any other fans out there in FSM NFSDland?
(I could have put this on the other side, given that he appears to have scored over 40 films in addition to 22 symphonies, 17 string quartets and many other works, but I'm not sure it'd have been appreciated...)
Hey Tall Guy, I am also a fan of Weinberg (Vainberg), and I too am very fond of his Symphony No. 12; I also like his Symphony No. 4. I don't know that he is a great composer (as Shostakovich is), but he for me he is certainly a damn good one. Chandos has issued a number of his works. My favorite is Symphony No. 4, Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, and Sinfonietta No. 2.
Thanks, mgh - will look out for those. One of the works I heard last night was symphony 18, partly choral, and very powerful. I agree that he'll never surpass DDS, but what a great find!
I only have two of his works, the 4th symphony & his violin concerto (op.67), but I've loved them since the seventies. They were on a HMV/Melodiya LP. It was long deleted, but then about 15-20 years ago the Olympia label released a Vainberg series on CD. The symphony is fantastic, but the violin concerto is even better, & both are conducted in his usual do or die style by Krill Kondrashin. All deleted now I'm afraid, & the cheapest I can see on Amazon is £36 (& after that the price shoots right up). I see the violin concerto is on Naxos, well worth checking out.
I only have two of his works, the 4th symphony & his violin concerto (op.67), but I've loved them since the seventies. They were on a HMV/Melodiya LP. It was long deleted, but then about 15-20 years ago the Olympia label released a Vainberg series on CD. The symphony is fantastic, but the violin concerto is even better, & both are conducted in his usual do or die style by Krill Kondrashin. All deleted now I'm afraid, & the cheapest I can see on Amazon is £36 (& after that the price shoots right up). I see the violin concerto is on Naxos, well worth checking out.
Thanks for both recommendations for the 4th symphony, heard via the miracle of youtube. Very lively, and on first hearing it's an attractive modernist work with one leg in the true classical era. Like it a lot.
Ah, it looks like you can buy that fantastic performance of his first violin concerto without re-mortgaging your house if you look for Weinberg instead of Vainberg.
I love Vainberg too, and I have to keep calling him Vainberg
Please your bessie!
I'm glad I brought this up, and am excited about hearing more from this guy - whatever his name is!
I went through a similar patch with Boris Tishchenko, whose CDs are generally expensive (and poorly recorded by modern standards) with the exception of his boisterous 7th symphony on Naxos, which makes me smile everytime I think about it, never mind listen to it.
Bill's flight of fantasy notwithstanding, I've picked up a few more of the Naxos discs and have to mention in particular Weinberg 8th symphony, Polish Flowers. The title initially made me wonder if it was going to be a syrupy tribute to his homeland in the nationalistic style of Dvorak or Smetana. I. Worried further when it became clear that all ten movements were settings of poems.
I shouldn't have worried - this is one of the most powerful pieces of choral music I've ever heard. Using soprano and tenor solos (with an alto thrown in for good measure) and massed choir, it's a searing picture of what the Poles went through under the occupation.
