Sofia Gubaidulina - Seven Words; Ten Preludes; De Profundis

Sofia GUBAIDULINA (1931-2025)

Seven Words (for violoncello, bayan and strigs)

Ten Preludes (for Violoncello solo)

De Profundis (for bayan solo)

Elsbeth Moser (bayan)

Boris Pergamenschikow (violoncello)

Münchener Kammerorchester

Christoph Poppen

Recorded January 2001; Himmelfahrtskirche Sendling, München, Germany

Review:

All the works here ‘ Seven Words, Ten Preludes and De Profundis ‘ have been recorded elsewhere before, yet they work superbly well as a set; and the two soloists, cellist Boris Pergamenschikow and bayan player Elsbeth moser, are sensitive interpreters who bring a consistency of tone to the disc. … Representing Gubaidulina’s reflections on the Stations of the Cross, it’s an enigmatically programmatic score that unfolds in seven tautly composed sections. She uses the strings with admirable restraint, and the abiding memory of the piece is hearing the alienated tones of the cello and bayan blending, before blurring out of focus. … The Ten Preludes for solo cello were completed nearly 30 years ago, though Gubaidulina has continued to refine them since. They were initially written as pieces to be included in an anthology for cello students, but their resourcefulness and poetry give them life beyond their technical challenges. Each piece focuses on a particular technique of bowing or plucking, and Pergamenschikow’s performance is lively and inspiring. The solo bayan piece De Profundis ‘ perhaps Gubaidulina’s most famous score ‘ grew out of her experiences as a member of the improvisation group Astreya. The work is a reflection on human suffering, and this time the bayan’s roots as a folk instrument are sharply juxtaposed against white noise and avant garde gestures. The ascending bitonal chords ending the piece are inevitably reminiscent of Messiaen. Like the great French composer, Gubaidulina has produced a body of religious music with universal appeal.

Philip Clark (The Wire)