Vadim Repin, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons - Sofia Gubaidulina - Dialog: Ich und Du; The Wrath of God; The Light of the End (2021) CD-Rip

Widely considered among the leading composers of her generation, Sofia Gubaidulina has continued writing music as she now enters her nonagenarian years. To honor her 90th birthday, Deutsche Grammophon offers three major works from Gubaidulina's later life, with Andris Nelsons leading the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Nelsons and Gubaidulina developed a relationship when Nelsons premiered the composer's Triple Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a couple of years later, Nelsons invited Gubaidulina to become the composer in residence for the Gewandhausorchester. All three works concern Gubaidulina's faith and spirituality, which is a driving factor in her life and music. As the composer has become known to do, Dialog: Ich und Du and The Wrath of God continue on themes from her oratorio, On Love and Hatred. Dialog: Ich und Du is her third violin concerto, and it was written for the present soloist, Vadim Repin, who performed its world premiere in 2018. Her first two concertos had equally illustrious dedicatees, Gidon Kremer and Anne-Sophie Mutter, respectively, and all three dedicatees have presented the recorded premieres of the works. The concerto lives up to the "dialogue" title as Gubaidulina delivers what sounds and feels like a conversation between the soloist and orchestra rather than simply being a showcase for the soloist. Gubaidulina's chromatic treatments do well to convey the spiritual emotions put forth in The Wrath of God and The Light at the End, with excitement building throughout to dramatic climaxes. The Gewandhausorchester is in fine form throughout, with the brass getting a heavy workload. These are all stimulating, often thrilling works that will likely find accepting audiences beyond those more inclined to 21st century music, and one hopes they find their way onto programs for major orchestras everywhere.