Vainberg composed the cycle of 24 Preludes for Rostropovich, but, for reasons which are not disclosed by Per Skans in his otherwise admirably informative insert-notes, the two men fell out, and the work, written in 1968, was not performed until last year by the present artist. It is a remarkably impressive and entertaining piece. The longest of the Preludes lasts only just over three minutes; most of the others last under two. The tonal design - a climb 12 degrees up the chromatic scale from C, followed by a similar descent - gives the music coherence, but what holds the forefront of the listener’s attention is a virtuoso variety of invention, some of it witty, some of it grave and with baroque overtones, some of it allusive, with references to colleagues including Vainberg’s friend and advocate Shostakovich (whose DSCH motif from his Cello Concerto marks No. 21). It is a pity that Rostropovich did not take the work up, as his reputation could have done much to make the music known and to have helped Vainberg when he needed all the help he could get. But the performances of the cycle, and of the rather less remarkable Solo Cello Sonata, are outstanding, and collectors who overcome an understandable reluctance to embark upon an hour’s unaccompanied cello music by a still little-known composer are more than likely to find themselves wondering why he is not better known.

JW
(From: Gramophone, November 1997)