Vainberg, Moisei

Vainberg, Moisei, Polish-born Russian composer; b. Warsaw, Dec. 8, 1919. He studied piano with Turczynski at the Warsaw Cons., graduating in 1939, then studied composition with Zolotarev at the Minsk Cons. In 1943 he settled in Moscow. In his music he follows the precepts of socialist realism in its ethnic aspects; according to the subject, he makes use of Jewish, Polish, Moldavian, or Armenian folk melos, in tasteful harmonic arrangements devoid of abrasive dissonances.

Works

dramatic: Opera: The Sword of Uzbekistan (1942); The Woman Passenger (1968); Love of D’Artagnan,after Alexandre Dumas (1972). Ballet: Battle for the Fatherland (1942); The Golden Key (1955); The White Chrysanthemum (1958); Requiem (1967). ORCH.: 16 syms.: No. 1 (1942), No. 2 for Strings (1946), No. 3 (1949), No. 4 (1957), No. 5 (1962), No. 6 for Boy’s Chorus and Orch. (1963), No. 7 for Strings and Harpsichord (1964), No. 8, The Flowers of Poland,for Tenor, Chorus, and Orch. (1964), No. 9, Surviving Pages,for Reader, Chorus, and Orch. (1967), No. 10 for Strings (1968), No. 11, Triumphant Symphony,for Chorus and Orch., dedicated to Lenin’s centennial (1969), No. 12 (1976; Moscow, Oct. 13,1979), No. 13 (1976), No. 14 (1977; Moscow, Oct. 8, 1980), No. 15, “I have faith in this earth,” for Chorus and Orch. (1977; Moscow, April 12, 1979), and No. 16 (1981; Moscow, Oct. 19, 1982); 2 sinfoniettas (1948,1960); Moldavian Rhapsody (Moscow, Nov. 30, 1949); Slavic Rhapsody (1950); Cello Concerto (1956); Violin Concerto (1960); Flute Concerto (1961); Trumpet Concerto (1967); Clarinet Concerto (1970). CHAMBER: 12 string quartets (1937-70); Piano Quintet (1944); Piano Trio (1945); String Trio (1951); 20 sonatas and 2 sonatinas for Various Instruments, with Piano; 24 preludes for Cello Solo; 23 preludes for Piano. VOCAL: 3 cantatas: The Diary of Love (1965), Hiroshima Haikus (1966), On This Day Lenin Was Bornfor Chorus and Orch. (1970); songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire