The first three-quarters of the opening Allegro is virtually a transcription of the youthful Sonata No 2 for violin and piano.
Troubled and brooding from the outset, the Largo second movement follows a somewhat stony path towards a stark climax which breaks off for a recall of the opening, this time leading to a sullen conclusion.
The Allegretto is the most obviously tinged with dance-like, ethnic turns of phrase, though here the geniality comes with an attendant sense of loss, thanks to the spare textures, subdued dynamics and and elusive harmonies. After a declamatory climax Weinberg unexpectedly slips in quotations from favourite pieces from the flute repertoire: Dance of the Blessed Spirits by Gluck, and the Badinerie from Bach's B minor Suite, whose fragments alternate as though momentarliy glimpsed behind a transparent but impenetrable veil. A mournful recall of the continuation of the Gluck theme leads us to a tranquil ending, with undercurrents of unresolved troubles.
Performance duration (approx): 21'00
