Mieczysław vineyard

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Mieczysław Weinberg (also Wajnberg and Moishei Vainberg; born  December 8, 1919 in Warsaw , Poland ; †  February 26, 1996 in Moscow , Russian Federation ) was a Soviet composer of Polish-Jewish origin.

Life

As the son of a musician, Weinberg came into contact with music at an early age and began studying piano at the Conservatory of the Warsaw Music Academy as early as 1931 . During the German invasion of Poland in 1939, he immediately broke off his studies and fled to Moscow via Minsk and Tashkent because he was Jewish - his family, who came from Kishinev , from where they fled to Poland in 1903, were murdered. Weinberg was called Moisej Samulowitsch Wajnberg in the Soviet Union .

Weinberg first settled in Minsk and studied composition there with Vasily Solotarjow . A few days after completing his studies in 1941, he had to flee from the German attack on the Soviet Union and traveled to Tashkent, where he worked on the opera. There he married Natalja Wowsi-Michoels, daughter of the actor and director Solomon Michoels , in 1942 . In 1943 Weinberg sent his first symphony to Dmitri Shostakovich , who then invited him to Moscow. In the same year Weinberg settled there and lived as a freelance composer in the Russian capital until his death. In 1948 his father-in-law, Solomon Michoels, died in an alleged car accident staged by the Moscow secret police. In the same year Weinberg was reprimanded as "one of the 'little Shostakovichs'" because of formalistic tendencies. In 1953, shortly before the death of Josef Stalin , he was imprisoned on charges of propagating the establishment of a Jewish republic in Crimea . His lifelong friend and mentor Shostakovich then stood up for him with a very courageous letter for the time, but his release was ultimately due to Stalin's death.

The opera The Passenger is Mieczysław Weinberg's main work. It is the story of an Auschwitz survivor who met “her” concentration camp guard again on an ocean liner after the war. Completed in 1968, the composer's work was first performed in concert in Moscow in 2006 and, 42 years later, had its world premiere as an opera at the Bregenz Festival in 2010 .

In addition to his compositional activity, Weinberg also appeared as a pianist. He has also composed a large number of film scores, including Mikhail Kalatosov's Die Cranes Drag (1957), Sergei Urussewski's Farewell to Gulsary (1968), Fyodor Chitruk's Die Ferien des Bonifazius (1965) and Winnie Pooh (1969), and Alows & Naumov's Tehran 43 (1981).

style

Before Weinberg published a work, he showed it to Shostakovich. The reverse was also true. They are also known to encourage each other to compose; so they fought a small private competition for string quartets. The mutual appreciation has left clear traces in the works of both composers: “You can't understand Shostakovich, for example, if you don't know Weinberg - and vice versa,” says pianist Elisaveta Blumina . It would therefore be wrong to regard Weinberg as a Shostakovich epigone. For example, the motor element plays a less important role for him, whereas the melodic component is clearly enhanced. The influence of Jewish folklore is unmistakable, which, however, differs from that of Shostakovich v. a. manifested in characteristic interval steps. The high structural importance of fourths and fifths , on the other hand, refers more to Paul Hindemith . However, a connection between his music and Romanticism can also be seen in some cases; For example, in his 21st symphony “Kaddish” he quotes the theme of the 1st ballad in G minor by Frédéric Chopin . Weinberg's music often shows a restrained emotional expression, which sometimes seems almost classical. Weinberg's works are mostly large-format; he concentrated on genres such as symphony and sonata . After some very modern first compositions (1st string quartet, 1st piano sonata), his following works (especially around 1950) are characterized by clear tonality . In later works, Weinberg expands the tonal idiom considerably and writes a more introverted, personal music. Many of his works deal with the theme of war. His last works, especially the chamber symphonies, are sometimes filled with unusual cheerfulness and return to catchy melodies and clear tonality.

Surname

The spelling of his name partly varies, CD recordings of his works can partly be found in the same catalog in two different places: under "Weinberg" and "Vainberg". This is because his name, which in the original spelling (»Weinberg«, Polish »Wajnberg«) is of Jewish-German origin, was transcribed in Russia as »Вайнберг«. The English reverse transcription that was made for the first CD recordings reads accordingly "Vainberg" or even "Vaynberg". In the meantime, the spelling "Weinberg" seems to be gaining ground for rendering in Latin letters.

International Mieczysław Vineyard Society

In 2015 the violinist Linus Roth founded an »International Mieczysław Weinberg Society« together with the conductor Thomas Sanderling . The company wants to contribute to Weinberg's work being performed more and more widely known. Irina Shostakovich, the widow of Dmitri Shostakovich, was appointed honorary president.

Works

Stage works

Symphonies

  • No. 1 in G minor op.10 (1942)
  • No. 2 op.30 for string orchestra (1946)
  • No. 3 in B minor, Op. 45 (1949/50, rev. 1959)
  • No. 4 in A minor, Op. 61 (1957, rev. 1961)
  • No. 5 in F minor, Op. 76 (1962)
  • No. 6 in A minor, op.79 for boys' choir and orchestra (1962/63)
  • No. 7 in C major, op.81 for string orchestra and harpsichord (1964)
  • No. 8 “Polish Flowers” ​​op. 83 for tenor, soprano, alto, choir and orchestra (1964), based on texts by Julian Tuwim
  • No. 9 op. 93 for narrator, choir and orchestra (1940–1967)
  • No. 10 in A minor, Op. 98 (1968)
  • No. 11 "Festive Symphony" op. 101 for choir and orchestra (1969)
  • No. 12 in D minor, Op. 114 “In memory of Dmitri Shostakovich” (1975/76)
  • No. 13 op.115 (1976)
  • No. 14 op.117 (1977)
  • No. 15 "I believe in this earth" op. 119 for soprano, baritone, female choir and orchestra (1977)
  • No. 16 op.131 (1981)
  • No. 17 op. 137 "Memory" (1984)
  • No. 18 op. 138 "War, no word is more cruel" for choir and orchestra (1986)
  • No. 19 op. 142 "The Radiant May" (1986)
  • No. 20 op. 150 (1988)
  • No. 21 op. 152 "Kaddish" (1992)
  • No. 22 (unfinished) op.154 (1994); orchestrated by Kirill Umansky (* 1962)

Other orchestral works

  • Sinfonietta No. 1 in D minor op.41 (1948)
  • Sinfonietta No. 2 in G minor, Op. 74 (1960)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 1 op.145 (1987)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 2 op.147 (1987)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 3, Op. 151 (1991)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 4, Op. 153 (1991)
  • Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes , op.47/1 (1949)
  • The golden key , ballet op.55 (1954/55, rev. 1961)
  • The white chrysanthemum , ballet op.64 (1958)
  • The Banner of Peace , symphonic poem op.143 (1986)

Concerts

  • Violin Concerto in G minor op.67 (1959)
  • Violoncello Concerto in C minor op.43 (1948)
  • Flute Concerto No. 1 in D minor, op.75 (1961)
  • Flute Concerto No. 2 in G major op.148 (1987)
  • Clarinet Concerto op.104 (1970)
  • Trumpet Concerto in B flat major, op.94 (1966/67)

Vocal music

  • numerous songs

Chamber music

  • 17 string quartets
  • Piano trio in A minor, Op. 24 (1945)
  • Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 18 (1944)
  • 5 sonatas for violin and piano
  • 3 sonatas for violin solo
  • 4 sonatas for viola solo
  • 2 sonatas for violoncello and piano, op.21 (1945), op.63 (1959)
  • 4 sonatas for solo cello, op.72 (1960), op.86 (1964), op.106 (1971), op.140 (1986)
  • 24 Preludes for Solo Cello, op.100 (1969)
  • Sonata for double bass solo op.108 (1971)

Piano music

  • Sonata No. 1 op.5 (1940)
  • Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 8 (1942)
  • Sonata No. 3 in G sharp minor, Op. 31 (1946)
  • Sonata No. 4 in B minor op.56 (1955)
  • Sonata No. 5 in A minor op.58 (1956)
  • Sonata No. 6 in D minor, Op. 73 (1960)
  • smaller pieces (e.g. for children)

Film music

literature

  • Manfred Sapper , Volker Weichsel Hgg .: The power of music. Mieczysław Weinberg: A Chronicle in Tones . Eastern Europe (magazine) 7, 2010, special issue with music CD. ISBN 978-3-8305-1710-8 .
  • Michael Brocke , Annette Sommer: Muzyka Mieczyslawa - Andante, attacca. The Jewish-Polish-Russian composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg. Expert discussion of the 2 authors. Zs. Kalonymos H. 4, 2010, pp. 1–5 (with photo: Weinberg with daughter 1980).
  • David Fanning: Mieczysław Weinberg. In search of freedom . (Biography and catalog raisonné) Wolke, Hofheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-936000-90-0 .
    • English: Mieczysław Weinberg. In Search of Freedom . (Engl., Biography with Worklist) Wolke, Hofheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-936000-91-7 .
  • Verena Mogl: "Jews who save themselves into song" - the composer Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) in the Soviet Union. Waxmann Verlag, Münster / New York 2017, ISBN 978-3-8309-3137-9 .
  • Danuta Gwizdalanka: The Passenger. The composer Mieczysław Weinberg in the maelstrom of the twentieth century . Translated by Bernd Karwen, Harrasowitz Verlag 2020, ISBN 978-3-447-11409-7

Web links

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The correct spelling is Mieczysław Wajnberg, see the comment on http://www.ruchmuzyczny.art.pl/index.php/wariacje/historyczne/1124-historie-niezbyt-prawdziwe/
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g David Fanning: Mieczysław Weinberg. In search of freedom . Wolke, Hofheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-936000-90-0 , p. 8, 27, 40, 68, 73, 96 ff., 10 .
  3. ↑ Joshua Rubenstein: The Night of the Murdered Poets ( Memento January 17, 2010 on WebCite ), accessed July 30, 2018. In: The New Republic, August 25, 1997
  4. ↑ Deutschlandradio Kultur from August 7, 2010: Brilliant opera discovery in Bregenz “The Passenger” by Mieczyslaw Weinberg
  5. ^ Per Skans: Mieczysław Weinberg - a humble colleague . In: Shostakovich Studies, Volume 3, Berlin 2001, p. 309.
  6. ↑ Elisaveta Blumina: Bringing Jewish Melodies to New Life ( Memento of March 27, 2019 in the Internet Archive ). In: Jüdische Rundschau from March 31, 2017.
  7. ↑ Mieczyslaw Weinberg (Moishei Vainberg) , accessed on 2 October 2012 found.
  8. ↑ Schweizer Musikzeitung, 2015, No. 4
  9. ↑ First performance in Moscow; Staged world premiere ( Memento from May 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) at the Bregenz Festival 2010.
  10. ↑ http://www.peermusic-classical.de/en/werk_detail_en/werk/4383_madonna_und_der_soldat/
  11. ↑ http://www.sikorski.de/463/de/0/a/0/9002733/weinberg_mieczyslaw/werke.html#Oper
  12. ↑ http://www.sikorski.de/575/de/0/a/0/oper/1018260_lady_magnesia_oper_in_einem_akt.html
  13. ↑ https://www.sikorski.de/575/de/0/a/0/oper/1018259_das_portr_t_oper_in_3_akten_nach_der.html
  14. ↑ https://www.sikorski.de/575/de/0/a/0/oper/1000969_der_idiot_oper_in_4_akten_nach_dem_gleichnamigen.html
  15. ^ Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Orchesterwerke Vol.2 , jpc.de, accessed March 14, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Weinberg, Mieczysław
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Vainberg, Moishei; Vaĭnberg, Mecheslav Samuilovich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian composer of Polish descent
DATE OF BIRTH December 8, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Warsaw , Poland
DATE OF DEATH February 26, 1996
Place of death Moscow , Russian Federation