NOSPR / Arming / Krzeszowiec - NOSPR

The unexpected rediscovery of the Polish and Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg is arguably one of the most striking events of the past two decades. The author of several hundred compositions, who died at an advanced age in Moscow in 1996, had been with us for decades. Yet, despite occasional successes, he gradually faded from view, disappearing from the stage and appearing instead in music history textbooks, where he was seen as by no means the most significant creative satellite of Dmitri Shostakovich. The last dozen or so years have brought a fundamental change. For many, Weinberg now stands as a composer of stature equal to Shostakovich, and for some, even more significant – as the alleged source of ideas for his distinguished friend.

Cello Concerto in D minor stands as a testament to the troubled fate of Weinberg’s music. It was written during the times of the Stalinist campaigns against 'formalism' and had to wait nine long years for its premiere. Its poignant opening Adagio reflects the tragedy of those times. Now recognised as part of the modern canon, the concerto will be performed by the concertmaster of the NOSPR cello section.

Johannes Brahms's Symphony No 4 in E minor is the crowning achievement in the symphonic oeuvre of the last giant among Romantic composers. As one of the greatest melodists in history, Brahms combined in this work his own extraordinary lyricism with the power of sound in an absolutely captivating way. A masterpiece among masterpieces.

Jakub Puchalski