Credits:

Classical V.A.

Description:

Weinberg was a Polish composer who was a friend of Shostakovich and was said to have been strongly influenced by his work. Although Weinberg experimented with avant-garde techniques, his style was often directed toward the past, and his works strongly express anxiety about war, sorrow, and a longing for peace. This album contains three works from the 1940s through the 1950s. Among the highlights is the "Piano Quintet," the pinnacle of Russian modernism by the 25-year-old Weinberg. The third movement's raging, galloping pace creates a peculiar atmosphere. On the other hand, the 1959 Cello Sonata No. 2 is a beautiful work full of contemplative music. The London-born cellist Andrew Yee, one of the founding members of the Atacca Quartet, gives an aesthetically pleasing performance. Naxos Japan