Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This entry in DG's Echo 20/21 series of contemporary music reissues is outstanding for its musical quality, engineering, and remarkable performances. Offertorium is aptly subtitled "Violin Concerto" to reflect the role of the solo violin, here played with brilliance and understanding by Gidon Kremer, for whom it was written. It's in three continuous sections, each headed by a fascinating Webernesque deconstruction of the theme from Bach's Musical Offering. The extensive violin part is technically demanding, and the vigorous orchestral interjections range from the hauntingly wispy to the aggressively colorful. "The Homage à T.S. Eliot for Octet and Soprano" can be described as "mystical with backbone," perfectly complementing the texts, drawn from Eliot's Four Quartets. The music itself is haunting, rhythmically alive, and forward-moving. Its 33 minutes fly past, thanks to the Kremer-led all-star octet, Gubaidulina's inventive scoring, and the tension-filled vocal lines. Soprano Christine Whittlesey, a noted performer of modern vocal music, who sings in three of the work's seven movements, offers outstanding vocalism and interpretative intensity. --Dan Davis

Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium, Music, Klaus Thunemann, Eduard Brunner, Sofiya Gubaydulina, Charles Dutoit, Alois Posch, Radovan Vlatkovic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Christine Whittlesey, Gidon Kremer, Isabelle van Keulen, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Concerto, Orchestral & Symphonic, Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble, Violin Concerto, Vocal

Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, 1980) / Hommage à T.S. Eliot, for Octet & Soprano (1987) - Gidon Kremer / Charles Dutoit
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Masterpieces of poise and insight

Fantastic introduction to Gubaidulina's world

Along the mistaken path

One of the great violin concertos of the 20th Century.

Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, 1980) / Hommage à T.S. Eliot, for Octet & Soprano (1987) - Gidon Kremer / Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit , Gidon Kremer , Isabelle van Keulen , Boston Symphony Orchestra , Christine Whittlesey , Tabea Zimmermann , David Geringas , Alois Posch , Eduard Brunner , Klaus Thunemann , and Radovan Vlatkovic
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001GAI
Release Date: 1989-07-20

Tracks:

Offertorium, Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: I.
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: II.
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: III. 'Time And The Bell Have Buried The Day'
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: IV.
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: V. 'The Chill Ascends From Feet To Knees'
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: VI.
Hommage a T. S. Eliot: VII. 'Sin Is Behovely, But'

Amazon.com essential recording

Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina's Offertorium is both a violin concerto composed for Gidon Kremer and a set of variations based on the so-called royal theme from Bach's Musical Offering. Gubaidulina is an interesting composer, belonging to no school and avoiding all compositional fads. Her style is sparse, even austere, but her expert use of instruments and instrumental color reveals her experience as a professional composer of film scores. Offertorium is mostly meditative, sad, and frequently quite dissonant, though there is an intensely lyrical passage at about 17 minutes, and in the last seven or eight minutes of the piece, the soloist and orchestra engage in a dialogue of rapt beauty. The Hommage to T.S. Eliot was inspired by the composer's encounter with Eliot's Four Quartets. Scored for the same combination of winds and strings as Schubert's Octet, plus soprano, the piece is even more sparely composed than Offertorium and a much tougher nut altogether. There's no question, though, of Gubaidulina's sensitivity in setting Eliot's poetry, and both works are superbly performed by the players for whom they were written. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Masterpieces of poise and insight.......2004-11-16

Sofia Gubaidulina, now recognised as one of the great living composers, is known for her deep spirituality and dedication to her own path away from trends, and this disc, first released in the early 90's and now available reissued in DG's "Echo 20/21" line, highlights this profundity and uniqueness well.

Gubaidulina's "Offertorium" is an exploration of the Royal Theme from Bach's "Musical Offering", using Klangfarbemelodie as Webern did in his orchestration. The theme is played nearly complete, is deconstructed note by note, hangs auspiciously absent, and then is mesmerizingly reconstructed as a Russian Orthodox hymn. The violin is at the core of this work, as it is a concerto dedicated to Gidon Kremer, but there are also very prominent contributions from the horns and drums. I find that this piece is an excellent introduction Gubaidulina's oeuve because it highlights the composer's tendency to meditative concentration broken by the rarest of powerful and shaking movements. However, while the work here is performed by its dedicatee, the sound quality is poor and the percussion oddly performed, so I would recommend the recording on BIS with Oleh Krysa over this.

The "Hommage a T.S. Eliot" is an exciting piece, here performed by a small ensemble selected by Gidon Kremer. Gubaidulina wrote the homage after reading the Eliot's "Four Quartets", often considered the poet's masterpiece and one of the finest works of spiritual poetry of the 20th century. The homage consists of seven parts. The beginning two part are instrumental only. The first is with strings, a slow and tranquil exploration of sound very characteristic of Gubaidulina's "String Trio". The second is for horns, already much more energetic. In the third part the soprano appears solo, singing a portion from the first of Eliot's quartets, "Burnt Norton." The following movement, again for only strings, is brief and insubstantial, and gives the listener a rest from the intense philosophical insight of the previous. In the fifth part, the soprano returns to sing a portion from "East Coker", this time with the accompaniment of the entire ensemble. After this comes another instrumental movement for strings. The seventh portion begins with a deeply moving interplay between the strings that creates tension and suspense before the soprano marks a stunning climax of the work with the closing lines of "Little Gidding." This is a incredibly deep piece, and as a fan of T.S. Eliot I am quite satisfied with Gubaidulina's insightful and loyal treatment of "Four Quartets".

The instrumentalists give a very confident and unflagging performance. My only complaint about the recording is that soprano Christine Whittlesey's singing seems strained and pretentious, and doesn't respect the euphony of Eliot's work. In the recordings of Eliot reciting "Four Quartets", his delivery was always very simple, plain, and direct, a big contrast with Whittlesey's absurdly trilled r's.

I would certainly recommend this disc. It is among the easiest of the composer's work to find and the liner notes are excellent. However, I'd recommend getting the reissue of this recording in Deutsche Grammaphon's "Echo 20/21" line, which is of similar price but with graphic art which fits in with the other installment in that series.

Fantastic introduction to Gubaidulina's world.......2002-02-01

Sofia Gubaidulina is a deeply spiritual composer, and the highlight of this recording is "Offertorium," based on a theme from Bach's "Musical Offering." (It is worth noting how Bach continues to inspire many of today's composers.) Gubaidulina forms her piece by gradually removing notes from its Bach source, and then eventually restoring them -- all in her own strikingly original style.

As other reviews have noted, the piece might be considered a violin concerto -- perhaps more related to Berg's than Tchaikovsky's -- with many delicate textures interspersed with more violent ones. Gubaidulina is more concerned with orchestral timbre than with "melody" as such, and here explores a vast range of sounds that can be produced by a virtuoso ensemble. You could not ask for a more committed advocate than Gidon Kremer in this piece, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in excellent form, all conducted with passion and commitment by Charles Dutoit.

The "Hommage to T.S. Eliot" is also quite striking, although I confess I haven't warmed up to its stark language quite as much as to the other work. But the performance is excellent, just the same, and the sound quality for both is superb. Gubaidulina is an unusual composer, and this might be one of the two or three recordings I'd recommend to someone new to her distinctive voice.

Along the mistaken path.......2000-05-01

While still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, Sofia Gubaidulina was already marked as a composer pursuing a "mistaken path." Dmitri Shostakovich, who was among those that evaluated her final examination, supported her with these words: "I want you to continue along your mistaken path." Sometimes compared to Alfred Schnittke, Gubaidulina is less playful, more methodic in her compositional approach and, ultimately, more rewarding. Offertorium is very special. It's an unorthodox concerto for violin, whose first part unfolds as a set of variatons on a theme by Bach/Webern. Webern created a kaleidoscopic orchestral version of Bach's Royal theme from The Musical Offering. And it is Webern's orchestral treatment, not Bach's original version, which serves as the Offertorium's point of departure. Gubaidulina finds her roots in these two composers and her concerto is an offering: a work offered in sacrifice. With each new variation, the theme is shortened by one note at the beggining and one at the end, until the work is reduced to one note. Thus begins the second section of the concerto, where the theme is reconstructed from this single middle note and made whole again. This recreation of the musical theme in reverse creates an otherwordly effect that also produces an intense emotional impact on the listener. "Nothing can be sole again" wrote Yeats, "that has not been broken." This work, commissioned by the performer--Gidon Kremer--, is the compelling portrait of the soul of modern Russia.

One of the great violin concertos of the 20th Century........1999-05-08

Both beautiful and harrowing, Gubaidulina's Offertorium is a great violin concerto, right up there with Alban Berg's Violin Concerto and Frank Martin's Polyptique. The point of departure is a quote from Bach. The rest is something like a spiritual journey. It is a richly textured work, so much so that it is easy to forget that it is actually a violin concerto, good news for those who dislike Kremer, although this truly is a great performance. Now, if you do like Kremer, like I do, then this disc is self-recommending.

Offertorium, Freue Dich(Rejoice!) - Sofia Gubaidulina

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Gubaidulina's breakthrough work in a wonderful performance

Offertorium, Freue Dich(Rejoice!) - Sofia Gubaidulina

Manufacturer: BIS Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0002HMKC2

Product Description

Offertorium 01. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Rejoice!(Freue dich). Sonata for Violin and Cello 02. I. Your joy no one will take away from you (Eure Freude wird niemand von euch nehmen) 03. II. Rejoice with joy (Freuet euch der Freude) 04. III. Rejoice, Ravvi (Freue dich, Rabbi) 05. IV. And he returned to his own abode (Nun ist er in sein Haus zuruckgekehrt) 06. V. Heed thyself (Hor auf dich selbst) Oleh Krysa, violin Torleif Thedeen, cello

Customer Reviews:

Gubaidulina's breakthrough work in a wonderful performance.......2005-05-13

This BIS disc contains two pieces by Russian-Tatar composer Sofia Gubaidulina performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by James DePriest and featuring Oleh Krysa on violin and Torleif Thedeen on cello.

"Offertorium" (1980) is the piece that brought Gubaidulina to international attention when it was championed by Gidon Kremer. The basis of the piece is the royal theme from Bach's "Musikalischer Opfer" (in Webern-like orchestration) which is deconstructed note by note and then, after its absence has been made very noticiable, reconstructed as a Russian Orthodox hymn. Over the twenty minutes of the work, however, Gubaidulina explores a vast range of sounds, with sharp and shimmering high and the saddest lows (especially when the theme is done in half-way through). "Offertorium" is deeply spiritual, with the piece as a whole meant to be a reflection on Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross. That the work draws from Bach and Webern serves as a summary of Gubaidulina's art, deep traditional piety combined with serialist and post-serialist complexity. I enjoy this performance very much, and even prefer it to the recording with Gidon Kremer on DG, which has a rather cold sound. I have not seen the score of the piece, but the use of percussion seems more in keeping with other Gubaidulina pieces, while that on the DG recording sounds odd.

"Rejoice! (Freue Dich!)" (1981, rev. 1988) is a six-movement sonata for violin and cello originally written for the famed duo of Soviet performers Oleg Kagan (who died tragically young at his peak) and Natalia Gutman. The piece comprises five movements, the subtitle of which are obscure, coming from a Polish parable in letters from the philosopher Grigori Skovoroda to W. Semborski. Again, this is a religious work. The capability of string instruments to produce different pitches on the same part of the string is taken as a metaphor for the possibility of closeness to God while on Earth. This realisation is the "joy" of the title. Concerning the interaction of the two instruments, in the odd-numbered movements they contrast against each other, while in the even-numbered movements they join together into a united sonority. I generally prefer Gubaidulina's works where she uses a greater instrumentation, but I enjoy this piece immensely because in its climactic movement there seems to be much more than two instruments.

If you have never heard the music of Sofia Gubaidulina, the performance of "Offertorium" on this disc makes an excellent introduction, or you might try her masterpiece JOHANNES-PASSION.

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Gubaidulina: Offertorium/Rejoice

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000027E50

Tracks:

Offertorium. Concerto For Violin And Orchestra - Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
I. Your Joy No One Will Take Away From You
II. Rejoice With Joy
III. Rejoice, Ravvi
IV. And He Returned To His Own Abode
V. Heed Thyself

Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (Concerto for Violin & Orchestra) / Rejoice! (Sonata for Violin & Cello)

Average customer rating:

Gubaidulina's breakthrough piece in a wonderful performance

Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (Concerto for Violin & Orchestra) / Rejoice! (Sonata for Violin & Cello)
Sofiya Gubaydulina , James DePreist , Torleif Thedeen , Oleh Krysa , and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000016IK
Release Date: 1994-10-12

Tracks:

Offertorium. Concerto For Violin And Orchestra - Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
I. Your Joy No One Will Take Away From You
II. Rejoice With Joy
III. Rejoice, Ravvi
IV. And He Returned To His Own Abode
V. Heed Thyself

Amazon.com

Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931) has a soul mate in the music of Schnittke. She, too, deals with sonic landscapes, based on a liberal use of many styles and tonal (or atonal) arrangements. Offertorium is a concerto for violin and orchestra and is based on a series of variations where each subsequent variation leaves out the first and last note of the previous variation. This is highly intense music, played at a pitch Schnittke wouldn't touch. Rejoice! Freue Dich of 1988 is a sonata for violin and cello whose logic is easier to comprehend. Gubaidulina isn't for everyone--but neither is Schnittke. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Gubaidulina's breakthrough piece in a wonderful performance.......2005-05-13

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