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Running time:
2 parts by 45 minutes
6+

Рrogramme:

Moniuszko
“Bajka” (“Fairy Tale”), symphony overture

Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11

Weinberg
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 61

19 December 2019 Thursday 19.00 Grand hall
19.00 Grand hall

Sinfonia Varsovia (Poland).
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano

Gabriel Chmura Conductor

Concert to the 100th birthday of Weinberg

The concert is organized in cooperation with Sinfonia Varsovia and The Adam Mickiewicz within the frameworks of programmes “Polska Music”, “Poland 100”, and the international culture programme in honor to the 100th anniversary of restoration of independence of the Republic of Poland. Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the multi-annual programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017–2022.

This year marks the centenary of outstanding Soviet composer Moisey (Mieczysław) Weinberg’s birth. Though his heritage is incredibly vast, ranging from from symphonies to cartoon soundtracks, he was an obscure figure for a very long time. It is only in recent years that his music enjoys comeback to stages, while record companies don’t hesitate to release new versions of his semi forgotten scores. Musicologists argue about Weinberg’s music during scientific conferences. 

Of course, 100th birthday is a special opportunity to pay tribute to the composer.

Mieczysław Weinberg was born in Poland to a Jewish family (more usual Jewish name, Moisey, was given to him in Soviet Russia). He had graduated from Warsaw Conservatory before Second World War started. Probably, this fact made Mieczysław Weinberg highly respectable for the Polish. 

This concert features Weinberg’s 4th Symphony along with some works of Frederic Chopin and Stanisław Moniuszko. The latter is the author of an opera called “Halka”, which was very popular in Soviet Union. Moniuszko was a frequent visitor to Saint Petersburgh, for his music was a success there. The Polish composer even dedicated his overture "Bajka (Fairytale)" to his longtime friend and kindred spirit composer Alexander Dargomyzhsky. 

Frederic Chopin, elder fellow composer of Moniuszko, who had to live in France for many years, willed to bury his heart in Poland. The will was fulfilled: the Polish idolize Chopin, in Poland he’s really the main national composer. It is not a coincidence that it is the city of Warsaw that holds the prestigious international piano competition named after Chopin. The competition is almost a century old, but during this time almost only men won it. There are only for female winners: Bella Davidovich, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Marta Argerich, and the soloist of the forthcoming concert Yulianna Avdeeva. Avdeeva is the kind of pianist that “makes music breath” (“Financial Times”). She performs Piano Concerto No. 1, the one that helped her win the competition in 2010. 

World famous soloists, including our compatriots, would play with Sinfonia Varsovia, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Mischa Maisky, Vadim Repin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Maxim Vengerov, and Grigori Zhislin among many others. 

The Orchestra’s first invited conductor Yehudi Menuhin would confess that he enjoyed the work as a conductor and soloist with this orchestra more than with any other. Krzysztof Penderecki became music director of the orchestra in September 1997; he was appointed its art director in July 2003, and he’s been holding the position ever since. 

This night, featured conductor is Gabriel Chmura. The famous conductor is First Prize winner of Berlin’s Karajan competition, he also was awarded Gold Medal of Italian Premio Guido Cantelli, Jan Kiepura’s prize for Best Conducting, as well as the highest Poland prize Gloria Artis Gold for the contribution to Polish Art. 

Chmura is obviously a keen follower of Mieczysław Weinberg. With director David Pountney he staged in Warszaw Weinberg’s opera “The Passenger”, and “The Portrait” in Nancy. With the Polish National Radio Symphony, the conductor recorded three Weinberg’s symphonies, the 4th, the 14th, and the 16th for Chandos label.