In 1941, a Polish musical genius fled his country for the hills of Uzbekistan. There in Tashkent, Mieczyslaw (or Moisey) Weinberg began churning out the first of his 22 symphonies and 17 string quartets. Given that Weinberg never fared well with the Stalinists, few pieces received significant premieres. "What was performed," he would later say of his music, "was performed due to a performer's express desire." Twelve years after the composer's death, Weinberg's music still relies on advocates like the ARC Ensemble. On Tuesday night at the ... (more)