Fanning, David. 2010. Mieczysław Weinberg in Search of Freedom. Berlin, Wonke.
The first source that provides insight into Weinberg’s life is a book by David Fanning (2010) titled “Mieczysław Weinberg in Search of Freedom.” Fanning’s book is the first full account of Weinberg’s life and works in any language. Drawing on unpublished materials in the family archives and on the personal reminiscences of those close to Weinberg, Fanning (2010) tells the story of a composer who devoted his life to music against complicated life circumstances. For one, Mieczysław Weinberg made two narrow escapes from the Nazis: in 1939 from his native Warsaw to Minsk, then in 1941 to Tashkent. He settled in Moscow until his death and rapidly became recognized as one of the USSR’s finest composers, enjoying a relationship of enduring mutual respect with Shostakovich.
The anti-formalism efforts of the late 1940s chastened him, and in 1953 he was detained on charges of “bourgeois Jewish nationalism” (Fanning, 2010, p. 10). Although his health never fully recovered, the demise of Stalin contributed to his liberation, and he eventually resumed his prolific work. His deeply humane music, which was neglected in his adopted nation toward the end of his life, has experienced a remarkable posthumous renaissance in the West, where his operas, in particular, are being rediscovery, including The Passenger, which can claim to be the best musical work ever composed in remembrance of Auschwitz.
Elphick, Daniel. 2014. “Weinberg, Shostakovich and the influence of Anxiety.” The Musical Times 155 (1929): 49-62
Another source describing the relationship between Weinberg and Shostakovich is an article by Daniel Elphick (2014) titled “Weinberg, Shostakovich and the influence of Anxiety.” In this article, the author focuses on the intricate process of how relationships are formed between composers. Following a discussion of their friendship, examples of what seems to be mutual influence will be presented, and then an evaluation of how these examples fit into Harold Bloom’s categories for the “anxiety of influence” are be made. Bloom’s theories have been both highly stimulating and problematic for musicology. Elphick (2014) states that deep friendships do not fit well with Bloom’s “anxiety” category, and Weinberg and Shostakovich are two examples of this.
Schmelz, Peter. 2007. “What Was “Shostakovich,” and What Came Next?” The Musical Times 155 (1929): 10-12.
In the article “What Was “Shostakovich,” and What Came Next?” the author Peter Schmelz (2007) focuses on disclosing the heritage of Shostakovich and how his life in the Soviet Union impacted his work. The author cites a 1996 study by anthropologist Katherine Verdery, which served as the basis for this inquiry. The death of Shostakovich in 1975 came to embody a variety of frequently conflicting meanings for younger Soviet composers (Schmelz, 2007). Much like the collapse of the Soviet Union forced the world to reevaluate both the meaning of socialism as well as the future course of global economic and political development.
University of the Arts Helsinki. (2022). Sonata op.28 for clarinet and piano (1945) (website). Web.
Another source that helps understand the work of Shostakovich is an article published online titled “SONATA op.28 for Clarinet and Piano (1945).” In the autumn of 1945, shortly after the war’s end, Weinberg wrote the Sonata op. 28 for clarinet (in A) and piano. Weinberg played the piano for the first performance, which was given in Moscow in 1946. Vasiliy Getman, a clarinet professor at the Gnesin Music Academy, played the clarinet (University of the Arts Helsinki, 2022). In the Soviet Union, where it was first released in 1971, the Sonata op. 28 quickly gained popularity and was frequently performed. However, outside of the Soviet Union, this Sonata and the majority of Weinberg’s other compositions were mostly unknown.