Concertino in A minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 42 (1948)
Two Songs without Words (1947)
Three Pieces for Violin and Piano (1934-35)
Sonata Movement (1944)
Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 69 (1959)

This release concludes the noteworthy complete overview of the works for solo violin, and violin and piano, by Polish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996), performed by violinist Yuri Kalnits and pianist Michael Csányi-Wills. A highly credible and authentic grasp of his music has been apparent right from the start, as the previous reviews of Volume 1 and Volume 3 will affirm.

As I had pointed out in the review for Vol. 3: "These two musicians are completely copacetic to Weinberg's aesthesics, and respond to his music with alacrity and a profound understanding of its raison d'être. Despite the music's slightly 'Jewish folklore' outer layers, at its core lies a grim and dispirited view of Soviet life." Already apparent within the No. 3 of his Three Pieces for Violin and Piano composed when he was a teenager, there's an ever constant sense of unease at the core of Weinberg's music. The sensation of a baleful presence lurking within the shadows. Not at all surprising when you factor in the many traumatic events of the composer's life. And again, this is something intangible within the music that these two musicians capture and project exceptionally well.

Listening to the music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg is not always a "soothing" experience. Since he and Dmitri Shostakovich shared the same terrifying existential consequences, their music shares the same mindset. In the end though, it's always a highly rewarding and penetrating musical experience. A composer well worth investigating.