Mieczyslaw Weinberg, Complete Piano Works Vol. 3 – Children’s Notebooks

Recommendation

Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919 – 1996) wrote the piano works on this album following his move to Moscow in 1943. There he established a close and mutually respectful friendship with Shostakovich, who at the time was working on piano pieces for his young daughter to play. Weinberg’s Children’s Notebook was composed in three books for his own daughter, Victoria, but he demanded more technical prowess than the beginner-level pieces of his colleague. Indeed,Victoria never played these works and they were criticized as being inappropriately difficult for young performers. Listening to the music, I generally forgot that it was supposedly written for children, being reminded only by the occasional childish sounding melodic theme.

In addition to the three children’s notebooks, Weinberg’s 21 Easy Pieces, Op. 34is also included. These tiny character pieces conjure rather an hodgepodge of moods as a little one might experience, and in a surprisingly short period of time. Even with titles like Merry March, Melancholy Waltz, and Little Rabbits, this music is still quite sophisticated, especially in terms of Weinberg’s use of harmony where he’ll frequently roam from the tonal center and back again.

Weinberg has been called by some critics to be among the three greatest Soviet composers along with Shostakovich and Prokofiev, and the influence of those masters, along with Bartók and Myaskovsky can be heard in this music. The performances by Allison Brewster Franzetti and the sound quality provided by the Grand Piano label are first rate in this, the third volume of a continuing series of Weinberg’s complete piano music.

Album Overview

The third volume of the complete piano works focuses on the three sets of Children’s Notebooks, 23 charming miniatures written to meet the strong demand for music for children in the Soviet Union. Weinberg’s sets, however, were criticised for so-called inappropriate sophistication. The 21 Easy Pieces for Piano, Op 34 are mood pictures, less technically demanding than the Notebooks but certainly not aimed at beginners.

Source: Naxos

Mieczyslaw Weinberg	Composer: Mieczyslaw Weinberg Weinberg’s works frequently have a strong programmatic element: throughout his life he continually referred back to his formative years in Warsaw and to the war which ended that earlier life. Typically, however, this darkness serves as a background to the finding of peace through catharsis. This desire… read more
Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano	Piano: Allison Brewster Franzetti A multiple Grammy® Nominee and 2008 Grammy® Nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist without Orchestra, pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti has received international acclaim from critics and audiences alike for her stunning virtuosity and… read more

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