Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
Marie-Ange Nguci Mieczysław Weinberg
Sergei Rachmaninoff

Mieczysław Weinberg (1919–1996) grew up in a Jewish family in Warsaw. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, he managed to escape to Moscow, but his immediate family remained behind and later perished in a concentration camp. Weinberg established himself as a composer, but as a Polish Jew in the Soviet Union after the war, he remained highly vulnerable. In 1953, he was arrested.

One of those who helped secure his release was his close friend Dmitri Shostakovich. As a composer, Weinberg often remained in the shadow of his renowned mentor, but in recent years, interest in his music has grown, particularly for Symphony No. 21, subtitled Kaddish. His last completed orchestral work, the symphony reflects his upbringing in a Jewish environment and is dedicated to the Holocaust victims of Warsaw.

Suite No. 4 from the ballet The Golden Key reveals a more playful side of Weinberg’s artistry. Aimed at children, the ballet draws inspiration from the story of Pinocchio and the Russian folk tales of Petrushka. Its protagonist, the puppet Buratino, comes to life and discovers a magical key. The ballet premiered in 1955, and the suite followed in 1964.

Violinist Niccolò Paganini was one of the 19th century’s greatest virtuosos, revolutionizing violin technique. His solo piece Caprice No. 24 is a dazzling set of variations on a theme, which has inspired many composers, including Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943). His Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra, composed in 1934, consists of 24 variations on Paganini’s famous theme.