Offertorium (Gubaidulina)

Offertorium (Russian ????????????????) is a concerto for violin and orchestra composed by Sofia Gubaidulina in 1980 and revised in 1982 and 1986. It was dedicated to Gidon Kremer, who in touring with it around the world brought Gubaidulina to international attention.

Related Topics:
Russian - Concerto - Sofia Gubaidulina - Gidon Kremer

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The work is centered around the royal theme of Frederick the Great in J.S. Bach's Musikalisch Opfer. Gubaidulina orchestrates the theme using a Klangfarbenmelodien technique reminiscent of Webern, passing it around various instruments to exploit their various timbres. The introduction presents the theme almost whole-- it lacks on the last note. The soloist then enters, beginning a series of variations which deconstruct the theme note by note. After the theme's demise a free rhapsodic interim follows. In the final section, the theme is rebuilt, note by note, from the middle note, until it resembles a Russian Orthodox hymn. The theme as a whole appears only at the very end, with the violin ending the piece on the high last note.

Related Topics:
J.S. Bach - Webern - Russian Orthodox

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In uniting her twin inspirations Webern and Bach, and in the deep Christian symbolism of the theme's "death" and "resurrection", Offertorium is a representative work of Gubaidulina's mature period.

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The piece was first performed in 1981 in Vienna by G. Kremer (violin) and ORF SO, directed by L. Segerstam.

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