Offertorium

The hook here is structural: Gubaidulina takes the famous theme that King Frederick the Great gave Bach to elaborate in the Musical Offering, and systematically dismantles it note by note. In the opening, the theme is passed between solo instruments in the orchestra in quick succession, a technique borrowed from Webern where the melody's colour changes with each note rather than staying in one instrument. Through a series of variations, the theme is stripped from both ends until only a single pitch remains, and then in the final section the harps and piano reconstruct it in reverse, note by note, until the solo violin delivers the complete theme at the very end.

What to listen for

At the opening, track how the Bach theme moves rapidly from one instrument to another rather than being carried by a single voice, so the melody seems to change colour every few notes. Then notice how each variation is slightly shorter than the last, as the theme loses notes from its beginning and end simultaneously, creating a gradual narrowing. The final section reverses this process: the string orchestra settles into a slow chorale while the theme is rebuilt note by note underneath, concluding with the solo violin stating it in full for the first time.

Recommended recording

The premiere recording by Gidon Kremer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, released on Deutsche Grammophon, is often cited as the benchmark against which other performances are measured, with Kremer's close involvement in the work's development giving his interpretation particular authority.

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