Reviewed by John Irvine

What seems at first to be an unusual pairing turns out to have been a strike of pure genius: the coupling of a recent piece by Russian Sofia Gubaidulina with an older piece by Polish composer Henryk Gorecki. An unusual pairing in that Gorecki's work since the Third Symphony of the late '70s has been predominately "minimalist", inviting comparisons with John Tavener and Arvo Part, whereas Gubaidulina music has been anything but. A stroke of pure genius in that there is more in common between these two composers than might initially be thought. Both composers attempted to write religious music under circumstances which were less than sympathetic: Poland and the former Soviet Union were both officially Communist in creed until recently. Both works here are devout settings of sacred texts, both employ choirs ("Miserere" is for unaccompanied choir), both have sections which resemble medieval chant, both treat few words to expansive musical elaboration: Gorecki does not reach the fourth and last words of his five word text until after 30 minutes; the first five of Gubaidulina's seven movements are devoted to the singe word of her title. Both composers would subscribe to the philosophy that traditional music and new compositional techniques should be organically linked, with the latter proceeding from the former. There are, however, stylistic differences between the two, which make for an exciting listening experience, juxtaposing the two works. Gubaidulina's work is principally dramatic whereas Gorecki's almost serene approach masks a formidable inner anger. Gubaidulina wrote "Alleluia" in 1990 as a commission for the Berlin festival under the banner of Singing In Honour Of God. The piece proceeds by way of frequently violent contrasts of tone, texture and material with the first five movements based on the word alleluia, the sixth on the credo and the seventh acting as a climax praising God in the serene tones of a boy soprano. Coming after such a period of musical diversity and violence, the end section is harmonious, luminous, transcendental, almost like rays of sunshine breaking through storm clouds. While this is a musically challenging piece, patience and repeated listenings are rewarded with a profound stirring of the emotions. Whereas Gubaidulina's "Alleluia" was written for a peaceful occasion yet is full of musical turmoil, Gorecki wrote the largely peaceful "Miserere" in 1981 in response to clashes between Solidarity and the security forces. It is a heartfelt plea to God for mercy. The words "Dominie Dues noster" (Lord Our God) are repeated over and over with the text "miserere nobis" (have mercy on us) saved for the final three minutes. In Gorecki's hands such minimalist techniques are strength and power. Gorecki's music creates a moment of peace, a time between times. He writes in a clear and simple language, which has mass appeal and is easily understood. As a whole then, not only is the combination of two great works by two great living composers unbeatable, the performances are absolutely superb. This is the first recording of "Alleluia" and is likely to remain the benchmark recording for some time to come. This is the second recording of "Miserere" (the first was reviewed in CR25, February 1995); this is a far superior recording in terms of performance and actual sound quality. All in all, an essential release.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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