Linus Roth

Light in Darkness

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Evil Penguin
UPC: 0608917723120
Catnr: EPRC 0044
Release date: 05 November 2021
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Label
Evil Penguin
UPC
0608917723120
Catalogue number
EPRC 0044
Release date
05 November 2021

"10/10 This shot is full of adrenaline and deserves the highest praise"

Luister, 03-1-2022
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About the album

Linus Roth first encountered the music of Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) in 2010 when he was scheduled to play his Piano Trio at a chamber music festival. After the first rehearsal, Roth was shocked and moved by the intensity and energy of the music and touched by the beauty of this composition, which was new to him. Not only were the characteristics of the inner turmoil obvious - , the deep abysses and darkness in this music - but also those of the hope contained therein, which repeatedly shone through. At the time Roth knew almost nothing about Weinberg’s biography or any of his other works, so he left the festival in the hope that Weinberg may have composed something else for violin.

It was then that a treasure chest opened up for Roth: a Violin Concerto with symphony orchestra and one with chamber orchestra, 3 solo Sonatas, 7 Sonatas with piano, many other pieces and a number of chamber music works. Much of it had never been recorded and Roth immediately saw the discovery of this music as a huge stroke of luck. As a musician, when do you ever get to discover an entire oeuvre that is first-rate and yet has been forgotten?! The idea was obvious to tackle the complete recording of all works for violin. As this project has meanwhile been completed, Roth wanted to return here to his first encounter with the music of Weinberg, the Piano Trio op.24.

After Weinberg and his wife were able to move to Moscow in 1943 with the help of Shostakovich, he wrote the Piano Trio op.24 in 1945. In 1947 the premiere took place at the Moscow Conservatory with Weinberg, who was himself an excellent pianist, together with Dimitrij Zyganow (violin) and Sergej Schirinskij (violoncello), who were both members of the famous Beethoven Quartet. The present recording is based on a copy of the manuscript from 1945, which contains all of the original ideas about the dynamics, phrasings and peculiarities of the composition. The opening Prelude of the Trio shows great assertiveness and a determined character, but is brought to an abrupt end by the Aria, performed by a lonely and sometimes fragile violin with interjections by the piano. The second movement, the ‘Toccata’, has a captivating drive right from the start, a typical feature of Weinberg’s compositional style and one which he uses again and again with huge skill and to great effect. The series of notes pound down wildly on the listener.

This is followed by the third movement, appropriately titled ‘Poem’. First, the piano raises its voice accusingly in a longer monologue, before the violin and cello spin a melody that emerges from the silence, leading to a brilliant climax, which in turn leads back to the opening melody. The finale is equally virtuosic for all three instruments. It contains a remarkable fugue and sound sequences that are definitely reminiscent of Shostakovich, but which come across in a very different guise. Here too Weinberg uses a stylistic feature that is unique to his musicality: he quotes himself and processes the opening theme of the first movement once again. An inserted waltz in a plaintive manner is followed by a swan song after warning and threatening deep bass notes from the piano. After all the huge drama this trio contains, Weinberg sends a ray of light down to the listener in the form of the bright and long-lasting harmonics of the strings. Like so many of his works, this one too ends in pianissimo and morendo, a typical characteristic of many of Weinberg’s final bars.

Until shortly before his death in 1996, Weinberg’s works were regularly performed with great enthusiasm by Russian artists and now, they slowly but increasingly are reaching the international concert stage. His Piano Trio, like his other numerous works, shows his immense mastery of all compositional forms, genres and styles - always shaped by events in his own fateful life, such as escape, expulsion, the murdering of his family and the constant danger to his own being.

This production was supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017–2022
Op dit album van de befaamde violist Linus Roth staan heel wat stukken van de Russische componist Mieczysław Weinberg die nooit eerder zijn opgenomen. Roth werd getroffen door de intensiteit en de energie van de muziek van Weinberg toen hij die voor het eerst hoorde. Alle reden dus om zich verder te verdiepen in diens muziek en uiteraard op zoek te gaan naar Weinbergs vioolmuziek. Die zoektocht resulteerde in Light in Darkness, prachtige ontroerende muziek die licht brengt in de duisternis.

Linus Roth kwam voor het eerst in aanraking met de muziek van Mieczysław Weinberg in 2010 toen hij Weinbergs Pianotrio zou spelen op een kamermuziekfestival. Al direct na de eerste repetitie was Roth geraakt door de schoonheid van deze compositie, die nieuw voor hem was. Niet alleen proefde hij de innerlijke onrust, de diepe afgronden en duisternis uit deze muziek, maar hoorde hij ook de hoop die in de muziek besloten lag. De violist wist destijds weinig af van Weinberg, hij kende zijn andere werken niet. Na afloop van het festival ging Roth naarstig op zoek naar werk van Weinberg, in de hoop ook composities voor viool te vinden..

Linus Roth vond een schatkist vol: een vioolconcert met symfonieorkest en een met kamerorkest, drie solosonates, zeven sonates met piano, vele andere stukken en een aantal kamermuziekwerken, het meeste ervan nog nooit opgenomen. Roth zag zijn kans schoon. Wanneer ontdek je als muzikant nu een vergeten eersteklas oeuvre? Het lag voor de hand om alle werken voor viool op te nemen, een project dat inmiddels is afgerond.

Voor dit album ging Roth terug naar zijn eerste kennismaking met de muziek van Weinberg, het Pianotrio op. 24. Nadat Weinberg en zijn vrouw in 1943, met hulp van Sjostakovitsj, naar Moskou konden verhuizen, schreef hij in 1945 het Pianotrio op. 24. De première vond in 1947 plaats aan het Conservatorium van Moskou. Met Weinberg, zelf een uitstekend pianist en Dimitrij Zyganow (viool) en Sergej Schirinskij (cello), beiden lid van het beroemde Beethoven Kwartet. Deze opname is gebaseerd op een kopie van het manuscript uit 1945, dat alle originele ideeën over de dynamiek, fraseringen en eigenaardigheden van de compositie bevat.

Tot kort voor zijn dood in 1996 werden Weinbergs werken regelmatig met groot enthousiasme uitgevoerd door Russische artiesten. Pas nu bereiken ze langzaam maar zeker het internationale concertpodium. Zijn Pianotrio toont, net als zijn andere talrijke werken, zijn immense beheersing van alle compositorische vormen, genres en stijlen - altijd gevormd door gebeurtenissen in zijn eigen noodlottige leven, zoals ontsnapping, verdrijving, de moord op zijn familie en het constante gevaar voor zijn eigen wezen.

Weinbergs Sonate op. 69 voor twee violen doet qua compositorische kwaliteit op geen enkele manier onder voor de bekendere van Prokofjev. Hij schreef het werk kort na het voltooien van zijn Vioolconcert, dat hij opdroeg aan de violist Leonid Kogan. Kogan was daar zo enthousiast over dat Weinberg besloot de Sonate op te dragen aan Kogan en zijn vrouw, de violiste Elisaweta Gilels. Het eerste deel is een opeenvolging van variaties, in een bijna doordringende stijl. Het 2e deel is een hartverscheurende, troostende melodie. Hier brengt Weinberg, zoals zo vaak, Joodse elementen in de muzikale taal. Het laatste deel is in zijn vorm een rondo met een beminnelijke openingsthema dat door het hele deel loopt. De middelste delen barsten van energie, maar zijn ook beklemmend. Beide violen worden altijd tegelijk gebruikt en tegen elkaar uitgespeeld. Zo ontstaat er een dialoog, vaak een verhitte discussie. Had Weinberg bij het componeren de Kogans in gedachten aan wie hij de sonate wilde opdragen?

Linus Roth vond het een unieke en mooie verrassing om 'Songs without Words' en 'Largo' als wereldpremière te mogen spelen op de Internationale Sjostakovitsjdagen in 2017 en 2019 in Gohrisch, Duitsland. “De stukken van Weinberg doen denken aan Mendelssohn, ook al staan ze in Weinbergs eigen kenmerkende muzikale taal. Net als enkele andere van zijn werken staat 'Largo' voor hopeloze duisternis. Het einde der tijden lijkt te zijn aangebroken en in dit geval veranderen zelfs de hoge noten niet zo veel, wat misschien kan worden opgevat als een verwijzing naar een herinnering aan betere tijden. Moge dit worden opgevat als een waarschuwing voor ons allen dat we zulke donkere tijden als Weinberg moest ervaren nooit meer zullen laten gebeuren en dat er altijd lichtende hoop volgt op de duisternis."

This production was supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017–2022
Linus Roth begegnete der Musik von Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) zum ersten Mal im Jahr 2010, als er sein Klaviertrio bei einem Kammermusikfestival spielen sollte. Nach der ersten Probe war Roth beeindruckt und bewegt von der Intensität und Energie der Musik und berührt von der Schönheit dieser für ihn neuen Komposition. Nicht nur die Merkmale der inneren Zerrissenheit - , die tiefen Abgründe und die Dunkelheit in dieser Musik - waren offensichtlich, sondern auch die der darin enthaltenen Hoffnung, die immer wieder durchschimmerte. Da Roth zu diesem Zeitpunkt so gut wie nichts über Weinbergs Biographie oder andere Werke wusste, verließ er das Festival in der Hoffnung, dass Weinberg vielleicht noch etwas für Violine komponiert hatte.

Da öffnete sich für Roth eine Schatztruhe: ein Violinkonzert mit Sinfonieorchester und eines mit Kammerorchester, 3 Solosonaten, 7 Klaviersonaten, viele andere Stücke und eine Reihe von Kammermusikwerken. Vieles davon war noch nie aufgenommen worden, und Roth empfand die Entdeckung dieser Musik sofort als einen großen Glücksfall. Wann hat man als Musiker schon einmal die Gelegenheit, ein ganzes Werk zu entdecken, das erstklassig ist und doch in Vergessenheit geraten ist?! Die Idee war naheliegend, die Gesamteinspielung aller Werke für Violine in Angriff zu nehmen. Da dieses Projekt inzwischen abgeschlossen ist, wollte Roth hier auf seine erste Begegnung mit der Musik Weinbergs, dem Klaviertrio op. 24, zurückkommen.

Nachdem Weinberg und seine Frau 1943 mit Hilfe von Schostakowitsch nach Moskau übersiedeln konnten, schrieb er 1945 das Klaviertrio op. 24. Die Uraufführung fand 1947 am Moskauer Konservatorium statt. Weinberg, der selbst ein hervorragender Pianist war, spielte es zusammen mit Dimitrij Zyganow (Violine) und Sergej Schirinskij (Violoncello), die beide Mitglieder des berühmten Beethoven-Quartetts waren. Die vorliegende Aufnahme basiert auf einer Kopie des Manuskripts aus dem Jahr 1945, das alle ursprünglichen Ideen zu Dynamik, Phrasierung und Besonderheiten der Komposition enthält. Das eröffnende Präludium des Trios zeigt große Durchsetzungskraft und einen entschlossenen Charakter, wird aber durch die Arie, die von einer einsamen und manchmal zerbrechlichen Violine mit Einwürfen des Klaviers vorgetragen wird, abrupt beendet. Der zweite Satz, die "Toccata", hat von Anfang an einen fesselnden Schwung, ein typisches Merkmal von Weinbergs Kompositionsstil, den er immer wieder mit großem Geschick und großer Wirkung einsetzt. Die Tonfolgen stürzen wie wild auf den Hörer ein.

Es folgt der dritte Satz, der passenderweise den Titel "Poem" trägt. Zunächst erhebt das Klavier in einem längeren Monolog klagend seine Stimme, bevor Geige und Cello eine aus der Stille auftauchende Melodie spinnen, die zu einem fulminanten Höhepunkt führt, der wiederum zur Anfangsmelodie zurückführt. Das Finale ist für alle drei Instrumente gleichermaßen virtuos. Es enthält eine bemerkenswerte Fuge und Klangsequenzen, die durchaus an Schostakowitsch erinnern, aber in einem ganz anderen Gewand daherkommen. Auch hier verwendet Weinberg ein Stilmittel, das seiner Musikalität eigen ist: Er zitiert sich selbst und verarbeitet das Anfangsthema des ersten Satzes noch einmal. Auf einen eingeschobenen Walzer in klagendem Tonfall folgt nach warnenden und mahnend tiefen Basstönen des Klaviers ein Abgesang. Nach all der großen Dramatik, die dieses Trio in sich trägt, schickt Weinberg einen Lichtstrahl in Form der hellen und lang anhaltenden Obertöne der Streicher auf den Zuhörer herab. Wie so viele seiner Werke endet auch dieses in pianissimo und morendo, ein typisches Merkmal vieler Schlusstakte Weinbergs.

Bis kurz vor seinem Tod 1996 wurden Weinbergs Werke von russischen Künstlern regelmäßig mit großem Enthusiasmus aufgeführt, und nun erreichen sie langsam aber sicher die internationale Konzertbühne. Sein Klaviertrio, wie auch seine anderen zahlreichen Werke, zeigen seine immense Beherrschung aller kompositorischen Formen, Gattungen und Stile - immer geprägt von Ereignissen in seinem eigenen schicksalhaften Leben, wie Flucht, Vertreibung, der Ermordung seiner Familie und der ständigen Gefahr für sein eigenes Dasein.

This production was supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017–2022

Artist(s)

Linus Roth (violin)

Linus Roth, who already received the ECHO KLASSIK Award as 'Best Newcomer' of 2006 forhis début CD on the label EMI, has received his second ECHO award in 2017 for a recording of the violin concertos by Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky with the London Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Sanderling. Linus Roth has made a name for himself internationally not just with standard repertoire, but also with his discovery or rediscovery of works that have undeservedly fallen into oblivion. He has devoted special attention to the works of Mieczysław Weinberg, both in concerts and the recording studio, being the first violinist to have recorded this composer ́s complete Œuvre on CD. Making Mieczysław Weinberg’s works known to a wider audience is also the aim...
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Linus Roth, who already received the ECHO KLASSIK Award as "Best Newcomer" of 2006 forhis début CD on the label EMI, has received his second ECHO award in 2017 for a recording of the violin concertos by Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky with the London Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Sanderling.

Linus Roth has made a name for himself internationally not just with standard repertoire, but also with his discovery or rediscovery of works that have undeservedly fallen into oblivion. He has devoted special attention to the works of Mieczysław Weinberg, both in concerts and the recording studio, being the first violinist to have recorded this composer ́s complete Œuvre on CD. Making Mieczysław Weinberg’s works known to a wider audience is also the aim of the International Weinberg Society, which Linus Roth founded in 2015.

Linus Roth attended the preparatory class of Prof. Nicolas Chumachenco at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany, before going on to study with Prof. Zakhar Bron. Subsequently, he pursued his studies for several years with Prof. Ana Chumachenco. While studying, he held a scholarship from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation

In October 2012, Linus Roth was appointed professor for violin at the “Leopold-Mozart- Zentrum” at Augsburg University and is also the artistic director of the 10th Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition in Augsburg. In addition, Linus Roth is the artistic director of the international festival Ibiza Concerts, which he himself founded, and of the music festival Schwäbischer Frühling in Ochsenhausen, Germany.

Linus Roth plays on the Stradivarius violin “Dancla” from 1703 – a kind loan from the music foundation of the L-Bank Baden-Württemberg.


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José Gallardo (piano)

A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, José Gallardo started piano lessons at the age of five, at first at the Conservatory in Buenos Aires. Later he continued his studies with Prof. Poldi Mildner in the Faculty of Music at the University of Mainz, completing his diploma in 1997. Even then he realised his first love would be for chamber music. His musical inspiration came from such artists as Menahem Pressler, Alfonso Montecino, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Sergiu Celibidache, Rosalyn Tureck and Bernard Greenhouse. José Gallardo has won many national and international awards. Invitations followed for numerous tours and festivals, including the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, the Asiago Festival in Italy, the Ludwigsburg Palace Festival, the Schwetzingen Festival, the Kronberg Cello Festival, and the Rheingau...
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A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, José Gallardo started piano lessons at the age of five, at first at the Conservatory in Buenos Aires. Later he continued his studies with Prof. Poldi Mildner in the Faculty of Music at the University of Mainz, completing his diploma in 1997. Even then he realised his first love would be for chamber music.
His musical inspiration came from such artists as Menahem Pressler, Alfonso Montecino, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Sergiu Celibidache, Rosalyn Tureck and Bernard Greenhouse.
José Gallardo has won many national and international awards. Invitations followed for numerous tours and festivals, including the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, the Asiago Festival in Italy, the Ludwigsburg Palace Festival, the Schwetzingen Festival, the Kronberg Cello Festival, and the Rheingau Music Festival.
He is very busy playing recitals and concerts, including chamber music appearances with other musicians in Europe, Asia, Israel, Oceania and South America, among them Alberto Lysy, Gidon Kremer, Chen Zimbalista, Julius Berger, Danjulo Ishizaka, Nicolas Altstaedt and many more. Concert halls he has played in include the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Zurich Tonhalle, the Hamburg Musikhalle, the Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Teatro della Pergola Florence and the Wigmore Hall London. From 1998 to 2008, he taught in the faculty of music at the University of Mainz; since autumn 2008, he has been teaching at the Leopold Mozart Zentrum in the University of Augsburg.

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Danjulo Ishizaka (violoncello)

After receiving First Prize at both the ARD Competition and the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, Danjulo Ishizaka is ranked among the most outstanding cellists of his generation. He studied with Boris Pergamenschikow and Tabea Zimmermann and gave his first recital at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall at the age of 17, followed by further débuts, including Carnegie Hall (2006). In 2012 he was awarded Japan’s most outstanding music prize, the Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award. His CD recordings have been selected for the coveted German Echo Klassik Prize as well as the Gramophone Award. Danjulo Ishizaka is a welcome guest at a multitude of renowned festivals; as a soloist, he performs worldwide with leading orchestras from London, Vienna, Tokyo, Detroit, and with conductors of the likes of Christoph Eschenbach,...
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After receiving First Prize at both the ARD Competition and the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, Danjulo Ishizaka is ranked among the most outstanding cellists of his generation. He studied with Boris Pergamenschikow and Tabea Zimmermann and gave his first recital at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall at the age of 17, followed by further débuts, including Carnegie Hall (2006). In 2012 he was awarded Japan’s most outstanding music prize, the Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award. His CD recordings have been selected for the coveted German Echo Klassik Prize as well as the Gramophone Award. Danjulo Ishizaka is a welcome guest at a multitude of renowned festivals; as a soloist, he performs worldwide with leading orchestras from London, Vienna, Tokyo, Detroit, and with conductors of the likes of Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Jurowski, Michael Sanderling, and Leonard Slatkin. One of the instruments he plays is the Stradivarius cello “Feuermann” (1730), on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. Danjulo is Cello Professor at Basel Music Academy and Berlin University of the Arts.

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Composer(s)

Mieczysław Weinberg

Mieczysław Weinberg was a Russian composer of Polish-Jewish origin. He studied piano at the Conservatory of Warsaw and was soon praised for his musical talent. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, Weinberg fled to Russia, first to Minsk and later to Tashkent, where he worked at the opera. There he also met Dmitri Shostakovich, who was impressed by his talent and would become an important influence on his music. Furthermore, he arranged an official invitation to Moscow for Weinberg, where he continued to stay for the rest of his life. Life under Stalin was not easy for a Jewish composer like Weinberg.  His works were not banned by the Soviet authorities, but they were not always well received. Moreover, he...
more
Mieczysław Weinberg was a Russian composer of Polish-Jewish origin. He studied piano at the Conservatory of Warsaw and was soon praised for his musical talent. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, Weinberg fled to Russia, first to Minsk and later to Tashkent, where he worked at the opera. There he also met Dmitri Shostakovich, who was impressed by his talent and would become an important influence on his music. Furthermore, he arranged an official invitation to Moscow for Weinberg, where he continued to stay for the rest of his life.
Life under Stalin was not easy for a Jewish composer like Weinberg. His works were not banned by the Soviet authorities, but they were not always well received. Moreover, he had to live in fear of being arrested, which happened to him in 1953. Shostakovich came to his rescue by proving his innocence in a letter to Lavrenti Beria, chief of the secret police. However, it was mainly due to Stalins death that Weinberg was saved.
After Stalins death, Weinberg continued to work on his extensive oeuvre, which consists of amongst others 26 symphonies, seventeen string quartets and more than 40 film scores. The majority of these works were performed by leading Russian musicians and orchestras. Thanks to the increasing amount of recordings, his works become more and more well-known outside of Russia.

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Press

10/10 This shot is full of adrenaline and deserves the highest praise
Luister, 03-1-2022

The presentation and diction of these musicians is phenomenal, self-assured and has a convincing expressiveness
Music Frames, 06-12-2021

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