Page 731 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book
P. 731
Gubaidulina: Offertorium
One of the first pieces to make the composer's name outside the Soviet Union, Sofia
Gubaidulina's Offertorium (1980, revised 1982 and 1986) is a violin concerto by
another name. It takes its name, in fact, from Bach's Musikalisches Opfer (Musical
Offering), whose theme it borrows.
The Bach theme is heard at various points during the single-movement work, but
each time it seems to dissolve. Then, at the end, it emerges anew, played
backwards by the violinist. It's a moment of serene resolution.
Recommended recording: Gidon Kremer (violin), Boston Symphony Orchestra /
Charles Dutoit (Deutsche Grammophon).
