Weinberg's Cello Concerto, composed in 1948, had to wait until 1957 for its premiere due to the political climate of the Great Terror and Stalin's death.
Performer Biography
Nicolas Altstaedt is the Artistic Director of the Lockenhaus Festival, invited by Gidon Kremer, and also the Haydn Philharmonie, following Adam Fischer.
Performer Biography
Nicolas Altstaedt, the cellist on this album, was awarded the Credit Suisse Young Artist Award in 2010 and performed with the Vienna Philharmonic.
Historical Context
Mieczysław Weinberg's family in Poland was murdered by the Nazis, and his father-in-law, Solomon Mikhoels, was killed on Stalin's orders in 1948.
Composer Biography
Dmitri Shostakovich, a composer on this album, was so impressed by Weinberg's First Symphony that he arranged for Weinberg to move to Moscow in 1943.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich considered Weinberg one of the best Russian composers and intervened when Weinberg was falsely accused and arrested in 1953; Stalin's death ultimately saved Weinberg's life.
Composer Biography
Mieczysław Weinberg, a composer featured on this album, fled German troops in 1939 and later the war again in 1941, eventually settling in Tashkent.
You might also enjoy...
Lutosławski: Concertos for Cello / for Orchestra, Bloch: Schelomo
Rota: Cello Concertos & Il Gattopardo
Penderecki, K.: Concerto Grosso No. 1 for 3 Cellos / Largo / Sonata for Cello and Orchestra
