The enduring legacy of anti-Semitism in Russia and the Soviet Union is well documented. But perhaps some of the most eloquent evidence of just how damaging that bigotry was to Russian life and culture--to say nothing of the murders committed and individual lives ruined--comes from the pens of a generation of Russian Jewish composers who suffered the direct effects of this prejudice: Alexander Weprik, who was sent to the Gulag in 1950; Grigorij Gamburg, who couldn't find outlets for his compositions; Michail Gnesin, one of the founders of the influential Society for Jewish Music in Moscow, who struggled in vain to keep the organization alive in the late 1920s; and Alexander Krejn, who found favor with Stalin only by disowning his heritage. Their contributions to Moscow's rich musical life shouldn't be underestimated: Bloch's lovely Suite for Viola and Piano is included here because many of his works were premiered in Russia under the auspices of the Society.

If there is a common aesthetic to these works, it is a shared love of melodically and harmonically complex structures, influenced by both Jewish tradition and by the contemporary evolution of tonality, as well as by a great affinity for the viola's smoky warmth. The disc goes from strength to strength, but the three works by Alexander Weprik are special joys for their sophistication and wit. Tabea Zimmerman and Jascha Nemtsov are an extraordinary duo, whose technical virtuosity is matched by the special regard that they clearly have for this music. Putting together this program was surely a labor of love. The sound is vibrant and full, and the piano doesn't overwhelm the more muted tones of Zimmerman's viola. [1/16/2001]

--Anastasia Tsioulcas