Mieczysław Weinberg

Ulica Krochmalna w Warszawie ok. 1941

Weinberg birth cert conservatory app

Adria w Warszawie przed 1939

Conservatoire, Minsk

The Knoxville News Sentinel 1942 07 19 page 38 (1)

Андрей Александрович Жданов 1

Mieczysław Weinberg (also spelled Vainberg or Moisey Samuilovich Vaynberg; 8 December 1919 – 26 February 1996) was a Soviet composer of Polish-Jewish origin. With a prolific output of over 150 works, Weinberg's music spans a wide range of genres, including symphonies, chamber music, operas, and film scores. Despite his significant contributions to 20th-century music, Weinberg's works remained relatively unknown outside the Soviet Union until after the end of the Cold War.

Biography

Born in Warsaw, Poland, Weinberg fled to the Soviet Union in 1939 to escape the Nazi invasion. He settled in Minsk, where he studied composition at the Belarusian State Conservatory. In 1943, after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, he moved to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he met Dmitri Shostakovich, who would become a lifelong friend and mentor. Shostakovich's influence is evident in Weinberg's music, particularly in his use of Jewish themes and his commitment to expressing the human condition through his compositions.

In 1946, Weinberg moved to Moscow, where he would spend the rest of his life. Despite facing anti-Semitic persecution and being imprisoned during the Stalinist era, he continued to compose. His works during this period include his first opera, "The Passenger," which was based on the novel by Zofia Posmysz, a survivor of Auschwitz. The opera, however, was not staged during his lifetime due to its sensitive subject matter.

Music

Weinberg's music is characterized by its emotional depth, intricate harmonies, and the incorporation of Jewish folk music themes. His symphonies, in particular, are noted for their lyrical quality and complex structures. Weinberg also composed a significant amount of chamber music, including 17 string quartets, which are considered among his most important works.

His opera "The Passenger," which was eventually staged posthumously in 2010, has received international acclaim and has played a crucial role in the recent revival of interest in Weinberg's music. Other notable works include his Symphony No. 21 "Kaddish," dedicated to the victims of the Warsaw Ghetto, and his Piano Quintet, Op. 18, which is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Soviet chamber music.

Legacy

Weinberg's music is increasingly being recognized for its unique voice within the 20th-century musical canon. His works are being performed more frequently, and he is the subject of growing academic interest. Weinberg's ability to blend a wide range of musical traditions, from Jewish folk music to Soviet symphonic style, makes his oeuvre a rich field of study for musicologists and a source of inspiration for contemporary composers.

Despite the challenges he faced during his lifetime, including political repression and personal tragedies, Weinberg's music conveys a profound sense of hope and resilience. His legacy continues to grow as more of his compositions are discovered and performed, securing his place as one of the most important composers of the 20th century.