Described by the San Francisco Classical Voice as "flawless urban sophisticates at their finest," American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)pays homage to the late, largely unsung Polish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg with an elegiac chamber music program that includes his exquisite Piano Quintet Op. 18, plus works by Henryk Gorecki and Dmitri Shostakovich. Program: Mieczyslaw Weinberg, Piano Quintet, Op. 18 Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 Henryk Gorecki, String Quartet No. 3, select movements The music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg(1919-96) is among the Twentieth Century's greatest hidden treasures. Born in Poland, Weinberg emigrated to Soviet Union in perilous circumstances. Often seen in the shadow of his close friend Dmitri Shostakovich, who regarded him as one of the most outstanding composers of the day, Weinberg is slowly being rediscovered as a figure of immense significance in the landscape of postmodern classical music. Weinberg's musical idiom stylistically mixes traditional and contemporary forms, combining a freely tonal, individual language inspired by Shostakovich with ethnic (Jewish, Polish, Moldovian) influences and a unique sense of form, harmony and color. His prolific output includes 17 string quartets, over 20 large-scale symphonies, numerous sonatas for solo stringed instruments and piano, film-scores, as well as operas, including The Passenger (1968) which has recently received critical praise and attention. Presented by the Morgan Library and Museum in cooperation with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. More about American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)
