Jewish Music Projects Foundation in Amsterdam- Release of new CDs
10 27, 2009
We have received news from Jewish Music Projects Foundation in Amsterdam. Since 2002 they have been organizing concerts with music by forgotten 20th c. Jewish Composers from Russia. They have recently released three CDs: SUN AND RAIN (Zun mit a regn). Jewish Songs and Chamber Music by Mieczyslav Weinberg, Veniamin Basner and Dmitri Shostakovich. The Sovali Consort. JMP CD 001. © JMP 2007, Amsterdam
“Sun and Rain” (Zun mit a regn) is a metaphor for laughter and tears and a fitting title for an album dedicated to the three Russian composers and friends Mieczyslaw Weinberg (Moisei Vainberg) (1919-1996), Veniamin Basner (1925-1996) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) who supported each other even in the worst of times. World War Two and the reign of terror in the Soviet Union had a deep impact on them. Many of their works are inspired by Jewish themes. At a time when Jewish culture was taboo, it was often years before the works could be performed. Some scores never left the composers' desk drawers or remained buried in archives. Thanks to Lusha Basner, Per Skans and Julia Broido, we were able to locate unknown scores by Weinberg and Basner.
The album includes two Jewish Song Cycles by Weinberg, the first cycle, Op. 13, to Yiddish lyrics by Itschak Leyb Peretz (track 1-6) and the second cycle, Op.17 to Yiddish lyrics by Shmuel Halkin (track 11-16); four songs from the Shostakovich cycle “From Jewish Folk Poetry”, Op. 79, sung in the original Yiddish version provided by Joachim Braun (track 19-22); and three Russian songs by Basner from the musical “Jewish Luck” after D. Fridman's novel Mendel Marantz, libretto by Boris Pantser, Op. 45 (track 24-26). Weinberg's First Jewish Song Cycle, Op.13 has been beautifully instrumentated for voice and piano trio by Alexander Oratovski, as have the Shostakovich and Basner songs. The album also includes known and unknown instrumental works such as Weinberg's Sonata No.1 for Cello Solo, Op. 72 (track 8-10); Shostakovich' Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in F-sharp minor for piano, Op. 87 (track 17-18), and Basner's Poem for violin and piano, Op. 7, No. 1 (track 23).
For more information about this organization, their projects, and CDs please visit: http://www.joodsemuziekprojecten.nl/
At the moment the three CDs are available at http://www.CDBaby.com and through their organization: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)