• Most Respected Classical Music Platform
  • #classicalForever
TOP

OUT NOW | Violinist Gidon Kremer Releases “Mieczysław Weinberg: Sonatas for Violin Solo”

 

The album was recently issued by ECM New Series on the occasion of Gidon Kremer’s 75th birthday on February 27. This album also celebrates the 40-year collaboration between Kremer and ECM.

The pieces featured on the disc are Mieczysław Weinberg’s Sonatas for Solo Violin No. 1, 2, and 3, written in 1964, 1967, and 1979, respectively. As described by ECM, these works are richly creative and technically challenging for solo violin.

The first two sonatas were dedicated to Soviet violinist Mikhail Fichtenholz and the third was in memory of Mieczysław’s father Shmil Weinberg, who had been a composer and conductor at the Yiddish Theater.

Born in 1919, Mieczysław Weinberg studied at the Warsaw Conservatory which was then directed by Karol Szymanowski

In 1943, he traveled to Moscow at the suggestion of Shostakovich, who praised the score of his first symphony. They became close friends and the influences of Shostakovich can be heard in these solo violin sonatas. 

Weinberg wrote prolifically, especially during the 1960s and 70s when demands for Socialist Realism began to dissipate. He penned 26 symphonies, 17 string quartets, six concertos, seven operas, 28 sonatas, over 200 songs, and 60 scores for film, theater, and more. 

For this album, Kremer played on a 1641 Nicola Amati violin which, according to him, “allowed great tension and versatility to be imparted to the notes of Weinberg.”

Recorded at Lockenhaus and Lithuania’s Studio Residence Palesius, this recording is Kremer’s third ECM release featuring Weinberg’s music.

“I am very pleased that the world is slowly recognizing Mieczysław Weinberg as an important composer,” Kremer said in the press release. “For me personally, the treasure trove of his compositions remains a constant source of enthusiasm and inspiration.”

To listen to and purchase the album, click here.

 

Born into a musical family in Latvia in 1947, Kremer began violin playing at age four. At 18, he studied with David Oistrakh at the Moscow Conservatory and his solo career took off in his early 20s when he won first prize at both the Paganini and Tchaikovsky International Competitions. 

upcoming events

april 2025

23aprAll Day26Lyon International Chamber Music Competition(All Day) Université Lumière Lyon 2, 18 quai Claude Bernard 69365 Lyon, FranceEvent Type :competitions Event Tagschamber music,chamber music competition,Lyon International Chamber Music Competition

may 2025

12mayAll Day03junPrague Spring International Music Festival(All Day) Rudolfinum, Alšovo nábř. 79/12, 110 00 Staré město-Staré Město, CzechiaEvent Type :Other

12mayAll Day03junPrague Spring International Cello Competition(All Day) Rudolfinum, Alšovo nábř. 79/12, 110 00 Staré město-Staré Město, CzechiaEvent Type :competitions Event TagsPrague Spring International Violin Competition,violin competition

17mayAll Day18Stulberg International String Competition(All Day) Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University, 1300 Theatre Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49008Event Type :competitions Event Tagscompetition,Stulberg International String Competition

24mayAll Day08junSendai International Violin Competition(All Day) Hitachi Systems Hall Sendai (Sendai City Youth Cultural Center), 3-27-5, Asahigaoka, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Pref., 981-0904, JapanEvent Type :competitions Event Tagscompetition,violin

25mayAll Day06junMontreal International Voice Competition(All Day) Event Type :competitions Event TagsMontreal International Piano Competition,Piano Competition

CONTACT US
x

Get ALL our latest conveniently by EMAIL

Our newsletter is trusted by over 100,000+ industry professionals around the world

We deliver news straight to your inbox and will never share your data.
You'll never miss a beat!

click left click right