Ewelina Nowicka, the Polish violinist and composer on this album, discovered Mieczysław Weinberg's music during her research on Dmitri Shostakovich.
Historical Context
Mieczysław Weinberg was arrested in February 1953 and detained for eleven weeks, until the death of Stalin led to his release.
Performer Biography
Agnieszka Duczmal, conductor of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, was the first woman conductor to perform in the famous La Scala in Milan.
Performer Biography
Ewelina Nowicka arranged a missing version of Weinberg's Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes for violin and orchestra, which was later published.
Performer Biography
Anna Duczmal-Mróz, also a conductor on this album, is the daughter of Agnieszka Duczmal and was encouraged to study conducting by Maestro Eiji Oue.
Composer Biography
Mieczysław Weinberg's reputation suffered a setback in January 1948 due to the 'antiformalism' campaign and his connection to Solomon Mikhoels, a prominent Jewish actor who was murdered.
Composer's Artistic Vision
During a period of political pressure, Mieczysław Weinberg moderated his style towards folk-like idioms and lyricism, elements already prominent in his Polish-Jewish background.
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