Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 01 | An Incorrect Path | 20211101 | Sofia Gubaidulina is encouraged by Shostakovich to follow her own convictions as a young composer. With Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney. To mark Sofia Gubaidulina's ninetieth birthday, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music. Gubaidulina has been living in Germany since 1992 and is still busy composing today. When she was born in 1931 in Tatarstan, the Soviet Union was under Stalinist rule. Up until her emigration, she worked as a composer under the strictly regulated conditions determined by Soviet cultural policies. Across the week we get an insight into the life of a composer behind the Iron Curtain, as Gubaidulina developed her own creative path, un-swayed by any hint of ideological pressure. Today: as a small child Gubaidulina found her imagination and music could free her from a life in poverty in Tartarstan. Spotted by a delegation of talent scouts, years of training followed at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory. It was a thorough grounding, which failed to repress her inquisitive and independent mind. Musical Toys Magical Accordion Mei Yi Foo, piano Allegro rustic for flute and piano Jordi Palau, flute Gennady Dzubenko, piano Offertorium Oleg Kagan, violin Ministry of Culture Orchestra Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor Piano sonata I: Allegro Diana Baker, piano Pantomime for Double Bass and piano Daniele Roccato, double bass Fabrizio Ottaviucci, piano Sofia Gubaidulina is encouraged by Shostakovich. With Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney. |
| 2021 | 02 | A Brave New World | 20211102 | Sofia Gubaidulina's process of self-discovery as a young composer led her to experiment with a diverse range of sounds and instruments. With Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney. To mark Sofia Gubaidulina's ninetieth birthday, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music. Gubaidulina has been living in Germany since 1992 and is still busy composing today. When she was born in 1931 in Tatarstan, the Soviet Union was under Stalinist rule. Up until her emigration, she worked as a composer under the strictly regulated conditions determined by Soviet cultural policies. Across the week we get an insight into the life of a composer behind the Iron Curtain, as Gubaidulina developed her own creative path, unswayed by any hint of ideological pressure. After completing postgraduate studies, Gubaidulina was free to consider what her own voice might be. At the same time she was learning what the Soviet authorities might expect of her. Seven words for Cello, Bayan and Strings in seven movements Est ist Vollbracht Maria Kliegel, cello Elsbeth Moser, Bayan Kathrin Rabus, violin Camerata Transsylvanica Gyorgy Selmeczi, conductor 5 Etudes for harp, double bass and percussion no 1: Largo no 4: Allegro disperato no 5: Andante Elsie Bedleem, harp Martin Heinze, double bass Jan Schlichte percussion Vivente - non vivente Sofia Gubaidulina, synthesiser Artyomov: Archipelagos of Sounds in the Ocean of Time (excerpt) Astraea Vyacheslav Artyomov Viktor Suslin, playing various unidentified percussion Sheptalki Valentina Ponomareva, vocal Concordanza for instrumental ensemble Sinfonia Lahti Chamber Ensemble Osmo V䀀nska, director Sofia Gubaidulina's process of self-discovery as a young composer, with Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 03 | Conflict With The Authorities | 20211103 | Sofia Gubaidulina was among seven composers denounced by Tikhon Khrennikov, Secretary of the highly influential Union of Soviet Composers in 1979. Donald Macleod considers the circumstances surrounding this speech with Gerard McBurney. To mark Sofia Gubaidulina's ninetieth birthday, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music. Gubaidulina has been living in Germany since 1992 and is still busy composing today. When she was born in 1931 in Tatarstan, the Soviet Union was under Stalinist rule. Up until her emigration, she worked as a composer under the strictly regulated conditions determined by Soviet cultural policies. Across the week we get an insight into the life of a composer behind the Iron Curtain, as Gubaidulina developed her own creative path, un-swayed by any hint of ideological pressure. Aside from Khrennikov's public explanation, the Communist Party had long regarded religious belief as superstitious and backward. The relationship between religion, the spiritual and her music may have been another reason to regard Gubaidulina in a negative light. But for Gubaidulina there would be 'no weightier occupation than the re-composition of spiritual integrity through the composition of music.` Johannes Passion I: The word St. Petersburg Chamber Choir Chorus & Orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg Valery Gergiev, director Rejoice! Sonata for Violin and Cello V: Listen to the small voice within Gidon Kremer, violin Yo-Yo Ma, cello Stimmen - Verstummen (excerpt) 8th Movement (out of 12) 10'36` Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor In Croce Germano Scurti, bayan Francesco Dillon, cello Alleluja Vjeruju (Credo) Da ispolnjatsja usta maja: quarter note Danish National Radio Choir Copenhagen Boys' Choir Danish National RSO Dmitri Kitayenko, conductor Sofia Gubaidulina's blacklisting in 1979 by Tikhon Khrennikov, with Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 04 | A Global Vision | 20211104 | Sofia Gubaidulina's music draws on eastern and western culture. Today, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney consider how this plays in to her quest to find a universal musical language. To mark Sofia Gubaidulina's ninetieth birthday, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music. Gubaidulina has been living in Germany since 1992 and is still busy composing today. When she was born in 1931 in Tatarstan, the Soviet Union was under Stalinist rule. Up until her emigration, she worked as a composer under the strictly regulated conditions determined by Soviet cultural policies. Across the week we get an insight into the life of a composer behind the Iron Curtain, as Gubaidulina developed her own creative path, un-swayed by any hint of ideological pressure. Gubaidulina's roots are steeped in Tatar and Russian music, literature and art. But as well as her own native language, she's deliberately sought out a broad range of linguistic sources, finding inspiration for both instrumental and vocal music in both ancient and modern texts. Hommage to Marina Tsvetayeva for a capella chorus I: The Day's burden has sunk beside the Waves West German Radio Vocal Ensemble Marcus Creed, director Rubaiyat Sergei Yakovenko, baritone Collegium Musicum, Gennady Rozhdestvensky Soloists' Ensemble Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor Galgenlieder (excerpt) Die Mitternachtmaus Das aesthetische Wiesel Das Knie Elsbeth Moser, bayan Gergely Bodoky, flute Cornelia Monske, percussion Barbara Hofling, mezzo-soprano Martin Heinze, double bass Hommage a TS Eliot (excerpt) Musical meditation Sin is Behovely, but Eduard Brunner, clarinet Christine Whittlesey, soprano Gidon Kremer, violin Radovan Vlatkovic horn Alois Posch, double bass David Geringas, cello Klaus Thunemann, bassoon Tabea Zimmermann, viola Isabelle van Keulen, violin Garden of joy and sorrow for flute, harp, spoken voice ad lib. (excerpt) Hat Trick Ensemble Sofia Gubaidulina's quest to find a universal musical language, with Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 05 LAST | Collaboration | 20211105 | Sofia Gubaidulina has formed many long and successful musical partnerships. Today, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore some of the creative ideas these relationships have generated. To mark Sofia Gubaidulina's ninetieth birthday, Donald Macleod and Gerard McBurney explore five different aspects of her progressive and distinctive music. Gubaidulina has been living in Germany since 1992 and is still busy composing today. When she was born in 1931 in Tatarstan, the Soviet Union was under Stalinist rule. Up until her emigration, she worked as a composer under the strictly regulated conditions determined by Soviet cultural policies. Across the week we get an insight into the life of a composer behind the Iron Curtain, as Gubaidulina developed her own creative path, un-swayed by any hint of ideological pressure. One of Gubaidulina's earliest collaborators was the virtuoso percussionist Mark Pekarsky, and among the other eminent musicians she's written for are the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. Glorious Percussion (excerpt) Lucerne Symphony Orchestra Jonathan Nott, conductor Hour of the Soul (1976/1988) for solo percussionist, mezzo-soprano and large orchestra (excerpt) Mark Pekarsky, percussion Lina Mkrchan, mezzo-soprano Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra Timur Mybaev, conductor Canticle of the Sun (excerpt) The Maker of the Four Elements - Air, Water, Fire and Earth [fig.34]... Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stele... [fig.66] [fig.87] Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) London Voices, London Symphony Orchestra Ryusuke Numajiri, conductor In Tempus Praesens for violin and orchestra (excerpt) Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin Valery Gergiev, conductor Quasi hoquetus Alexander Bakhchiyev, piano Natalia Gigashvili, viola Valeri Popov, bassoon Sofia Gubaidulina's musical partnerships, with Donald Macleod. |