Anne-sophie Mutter: Bach & Gubaidulina
Label: DG Catalog: 4777450 Format: CD Anne-Sophie Mutter: violin; London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (conductor)J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos, No. 1 BWV 1041; No. 2 BWV 1042 This is the first recording of Gubaidulina’s second large-scale work for violin and orchestra, In tempus praesens, and it is stunning. The writing for violin is idiomatic and precise and the conversations set up between the soloist and various combinations of orchestral instruments and sections are fascinating. While short on practical details about the piece - we’re told merely that it’s in five sections - the essay in the CD booklet gives insight into Gubaidulina’s inspiration: the figure of Sophia (the first name of both composer and soloist/dedicatee), “the personification of wisdom who has laid the foundation for all creativity… the fountainhead of art and of the artist’s engagement with the lighter and darker sides of human existence.” This heady inspiration has produced a finely-crafted 32-minute one-movement work that is jam-packed with drama, excitement, intensity and great beauty, described (perhaps a tad bombastically) by both the composer and the soloist as a “triumph over fate”.
Gubaidulina should thank her lucky stars she has such champions of her music as Anne-Sophie Mutter and Valery Gergiev. Their performance, along with the fine players of the London Symphony Orchestra, is captivating and committed. Mutter’s playing is free and expressive and a strong reminder of why she is one of the great violinists of our age.
By contrast the Bach performances are perfunctory at best, but the Gubaidulina concerto is more than worth the price of this recording.
Reviewed by Larry Beckwith. Reprinted from The Wholenote Magazine (www.thewholenote.com), Nov. 2008. Price: $15.98 |