MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG (1919-1996): Complete Music for Solo Cello, Vol. 1 - 24 Preludes, Op. 100, Sonata No. 1, Op. 72.

Description: "Vainberg composed the cycle of 24 Preludes for Rostropovich, but... the two men fell out, and the work, written in 1968, was not performed until (1996) by the present artist. It is a remarkably impressive and entertaining piece. The longest of the Preludes lasts only just over three minutes; most of the others last under two. The tonal design - a climb 12 degrees up the chromatic scale from C, followed by a similar descent - gives the music coherence, but what holds the forefront of the listener's attention is a virtuoso variety of invention, some of it witty, some of it grave and with baroque overtones, some of it allusive, with references to colleagues including Vainberg's friend and advocate Shostakovich." - "Gramophone" review Nov. 1997. Josef Feigelson (cello). Original 1997 Olympia release.