To quote the program notes "Weinberg was born in Warsaw, and his early musical activities were as a pianist and ensemble leader at the Jewish theatre where his father was composer and violinist." He was fortunate to survive when he fled to Russia in 1939. He became a good friend of Shostakovich who helped save his life in 1953. He is often accused of being a copycat of Shostakovich. I think the best place to start is quartets number 5 and number 6 which were published in 1945. Both contain some beautiful singing melodies which are sad but maintain joy at the same time. You may see the influence of Shostakovich but he was a superb composer of his own right. The sadness is different than Shostakovich. There is plenty of darkness and angst but there is more room for joy and hope. The Danel Quartet is excellent and the recording quality excellent. There is a lot of great music waiting to be discovered in these discs. The program notes are informative but I will be looking for more detailed material today.