It was as a film composer that she made her living during
the Communist years, whilst leaving part of every year for her own
compositions. She was early attracted to
the modernist enthusiasms of her contemporaries. A period of experimentation led
to works such as the Concerto for bassoon
and low instruments (1975), The Hour
of the Soul (1976, rev.1988), and ground-breaking pieces such as De Profundis (1978).
From the late 1970s, religious elements became more obvious
in Gubaidulina’s work with pieces such as the piano concerto, Introitus (1978), the violin concerto, Offertorium (1980, rev.1986), and Seven Words for cello, accordion and string
orchestra (1982). Many of her religious works are on a large scale,
including a cello concerto inspired by a poem about the Last Judgement, And: The Festivities at their Height (1993),
Alleluia (1990), for chorus and
orchestra, a Concerto for Cello and Chorus
and the Passion according to St. John
(2000). Much of Gubaidulina’s more recent work also reflects her
fascination with ancient principles of proportion such as the Golden Section.
Since 1992, Gubaidulina has lived in Hamburg, Germany. She
is a member of the musical academies in Frankfurt, Hamburg and the Royal
Swedish Academy of Music.
BIS Records www.bis.se have
just released a recording of Gubaidulina’s works for various instruments and in
particular the guitar.
Entitled Repentance, after the title of the first
work on this disc, for cello, three guitars and double bass, it also includes Serenade for solo guitar, a Piano Sonata and Sotto Voce for viola, double bass and two guitars performed by
Jacob Kellermann, Lucas Brar www.lucasbrar.se
and Franz Halász www.franzhalasz.de , (guitars) Hariolf Schlichtig (viola) www.hariolfschlichtig.de , Wen-Sinn Yang (cello) www.wensinnyang.de, Philipp Stubenrauch, (double bass) www.br.de/radio/br-klassik/symphonieorchester/orchester/besetzung-kontrabass-philipp-stubenrauch100.html
and
Débora Halász (piano) www.deborahalasz.com/Welcome.htm
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| SACD BIS 2056 |
Repentance for cello, 3 guitars and double bass was written in 2008 in response to a commission from the San Francisco Symphony of which members gave the first performance in San Francisco in 2009.
Deep pizzicato descending notes from the double bass, open
this piece and are reflected by the guitars before leading to a cello melody,
picked up by the guitars. The cello weaves around before more resonant guitar
phrases appear, punctuated by a low double bass motif. Soon more incisive
guitar chords introduce a passionate cello part that becomes more thoughtful as
the cello develops the theme against strummed guitars. The guitars are allowed
to expand on the theme, becoming quite florid whilst the cello interrupts
passionately. Deep, ruminating double bass sounds appear with the guitar theme
picked out. The music rises up with many little guitar effects and intricate
cello motifs. These guitar effects include slides, use of plectrum and rubber balls
falling on guitar strings, all adding their unusual effect.
The double bass leads the way as the music rises up with the
cello taking a stridently passionate nature, as do the guitars. There is a pause
as the guitars quietly strum with the cello adding a plangent melody that leads
to a short working out of the material. The guitars gently re-enter, subtly
raising the drama as the cello enters again in the rising theme, becoming
intensely passionate with dynamic, strummed guitars. Eventually a rather manic
sound emanates from the ensemble, high in pitch, slowly underpinned by the
double bass that introduces a rapidly bowed motif.
A gentler guitar motif pulls the double bass back,
quietening before the cello enters to add a sonorous, rich, deep theme that
rises higher with harmonics as a repeated motif for guitars is picked out. The
cello wavers its way lower, fading to silence, leaving a single guitar chord to
end.
This is an entrancing, highly original work full of
attractive ideas and melodies. The performers here, Jacob Kellermann, Lucas
Brar and Franz Halász, (guitars), Wen-Sinn Yang (cello) and Philipp
Stubenrauch, (double bass) are superb.
Serenade for solo
guitar is a much earlier work dating from the early 1960’s and commissioned
by the Moscow publisher Muzyka. Franz Halász is the soloist in this tonally
free yet entirely melodious work that must be a real gift for guitarists in the
way it combines traditional elements with more advanced ideas. Halász provides a really fine performance.
Another work from the 1960’s is the Piano Sonata (1965) performed here by Débora Halász. It is
dedicated to Henrietta Mirvis and given its Moscow premier in 1967 by Maria
Gambryan.
It is the strummed piano string chord that opens the Allegro of this work that stands out as
much as the virtuosic piano theme that follows, full of hints of jazz in its
varying rhythms. Soon the music quietens to a plucked motif, alternated with a
keyboard motif. This develops into a staccato repeated left hand rhythmic
motif, against which the right hand creates a jazz like theme, though with its
lack of a tonal base, it is beyond conventional jazz. The music moves through a
myriad of ideas on this theme, seamlessly, with Débora Halász providing a very fine performance. Eventually the music quietens
with wiry plucked strings occasionally sounding as a four note motif slowly
leads to the coda, the music rising higher and fading.
In comparison with the Adagio,
the first movement is more conventional. A scrape of string sounds opens this
movement before the piano keyboard introduces a theme interspersed by more
strummed strings. The keyboard motif tries to develop, continuing to slowly
work out a theme, now higher on the keyboard and offset by intermittent lower
chords. More strummed chords appear before deep keyboard chords are sounded,
the music having become dark and somewhat menacing. The music rises up
dramatically with strange wiry string sounds. A little motif higher up the
keyboard sets a lighter contrast before the gentler coda.
A syncopated Allegretto
brings a lightening of mood, though still with a formidable forward energy, superbly
caught by this pianist and leading to a spectacularly dynamic coda.
This is a most imaginatively conceived sonata with moments
of supreme virtuosity brilliantly handled by Débora Halász.
Sotto Voce brings
us back to a similar grouping of instruments as Repentance, this time for viola, double bass and 2 guitars. Written at the request of double bass
player, Alexander Suslin, a close friend of the composer, it was premiered in
Passau in 2010 by Suslin, with Vladimir Bochkovsky (viola) and Pavel Khlopovsky
and Yvonne Zehne (guitars). Sotto Voce receives its world premiere recording
here by Jacob Kellermann and Lucas Brar (guitars), Hariolf Schlichtig (viola)
and Philipp Stubenrauch, (double bass).
Hushed string sounds emerge against plucked notes, before
the viola and double bass rise up with a melodic idea. The two guitars provide
a contrasting line as the viola slides downwards. Soon the melody returns for
viola and double bass, leading to variants. The viola slides downwards again as
a little motif is plucked before the guitars and pizzicato viola launch a new
idea through which a longer viola melody appears, supported by double bass – a
beautiful section.
Soon a rhythmic section for guitars arrives with taps on the
sound board and strange sliding, string sounds. The viola commences a solo
theme soon joined by languid guitars and the double bass adding its deep
resonance. More strange sliding strings appear as the guitars continue the
melodic theme, joined by viola and double bass. Eventually the music speeds and
becomes a little passionate with sliding string notes for guitars before the
viola slowly rises up. There are more strange sliding strings before the double
bass and guitars lead forward more quickly to a rhythmic section.
As the work progresses it becomes more passionate with
string slides, then firm chords from all the players. There are more rapid
bowed sounds with slides before a momentary pause that introduces a decisive
theme for viola, double bass and guitars. There is a dramatic section before
the coda is reached with little plucked and harmonic sounds that fade away.
This is a fascinating work that receives a terrific
performance from these fine players.
This new release is a terrific addition to the catalogue of
recordings of works by Sofia Gubaidulina, one of contemporary music’s most
individual voices.
The recording made at Studio 2 of Bayerischer Rundfunk,
Munich, Germany is excellent as are the booklet notes.
See also:
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