Murray McLachlan - Russian Piano Music Vol 9 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Tarmo Eespere - Concentus Eespere Piano Music [COMPACT DISCS] date 12/12/1995

Mieczyslav Weinberg (aka Moisey Vainberg) was in fact born and raised in Poland, but the vast majority of his compositional career was in the Soviet Union and he remained there for the rest of his life, in Minsk (now the capital of independent Belarus). He therefore comes well within the definition of 'Russian' for the purpose of this series and was certainly treated as such by the authorities. This and the preceding album (dda25105) which includes the first three sonatas, were originally released on the now defunct Olympia tag but had a relatively short life and restricted distribution, and until 2012, still the only full recordings of these very fine works. This is music which though modern is written to comply with Soviet requirements and is thus also very approachable and melodic without ever being trite or unoriginal.

McLachlan has long had a fine reputation as a performer of Russian music, as well as championing brilliant but little-known composers such as Williamson and Chisholm (see the composer index). on this CD, he presents the Piano Sonatas 1 and 2 by Shostakovich with works by composers in his circle; though not Russian, the piece by Roland Stevenson is included both because it is based on Shostakovich's name, but also because Stevenson, politically, can genuinely be called a 'comrade' of those devoted to Socialism but fighting the Stalinist regime.