Mozart and Glazunov

Mieczysław Weinberg's Sinfonietta No. 1 is a work full of lightness and accessibility. However, behind the optimistic sound lies a disturbing story. Composed in 1948, the piece was created in the midst of Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign. Officially celebrated as "bright and optimistic," it met political expectations without betraying Weinberg's progressive composition style. With hints of Jewish folk music, clever variations, and a touch of Shostakovich, it remains a fascinating balancing act between conformity and artistic freedom. Mozart's Piano Concerto KV 466 appears as a contrast, but in its key of D minor, it is also a work full of dramatic depth. Mozart wrote it during a time of personal upheaval and suffering. In a quasi-reconciliatory manner, the concert concludes with Glazunov's "The Seasons," bringing nature to life in vibrant orchestral colors.