WEINBERG 100 | Wallfisch

His biographical note begins with the following sentence: "With discography covering over 70 albums, he is one of the most frequently recorded artists in the world." We are proud to announce that Raphael Wallfisch will be our guest. Internationally, he is one of the greatest cello masters. In the BBC ranking, his recording of Dvořák's "Cello Concerto" was considered the most outstanding recording of this work in the last quarter of the century. You will find Raphael Wallfisch's name everywhere from the repertoires of the most distinguished concert halls and orchestras, through the most recognized record labels to dedications of dozens of composers. And now, the Philharmonic in Szczecin is joining this group.

There are several works and projects referring to Jewish music in the artist's repertoire. Not only do his performances constitute masterly interpretations, operation of perpendicular and singing sound, which he learned from his master, the great Gregor Piatigorsky, but also a personal reflection on the life of the artist's mother, who was the only survivor of the Auschwitz camp in his family. What she owed to her cello playing in the camp orchestra. All her loved ones perished. A similar fate came to Mieczysław Weinberg, who was also the only one to survive the Holocaust in his family.

Dmitri Shostakovich also included a reflection about life in his fifteenth and last symphony. If you had ever been in a situation that you had to agree with something but had a totally different opinion, then you would understand this piece perfectly. The career of the composer living in the USSR was developing successfully until Joseph Stalin himself expressed an unfavourable opinion about him. Since then, to avoid persecution and even arrest, he had to comply with the requirements of propaganda and communist ideology.

Symphony No. 15 is a kind of musical testament of Shostakovich, in which he sums up his life and views. The first part is reminiscent of a child's visit to the store with toys (which is suggested by the composer's note), and the last one – contains many melodies from other works of the composer. In the meantime, we can hear musical quotes from many composers of Western Europe and the sound of dodecaphonic scales – banned as "bourgeois" and "detached from society". The concert will, therefore, be another opportunity for us to reflect on expressing true feelings and thoughts.