Mieczyslaw Weinberg: 24 Preludes

The 24 preludes for cello solo by Mieczysław Weinberg have a particular history. Composed in the late sixties for Mstislav Rostropovich, he never actually played them. Their musical language is aphoristic, often brutal, provocative in its inner conflict. It contains many different gestures and is very intense. To perform these preludes might have been problematic in the Soviet Union back then.

Gidon Kremer has adapted the Preludes for solo violin and this is the world premiere recording of his adaptation. In his concerts, Kremer often plays them to projections of works by the Lithuanian photographer Antanas Sutkus in the background.