The New European Ensemble presents a portrait of Sofia Gubaidulina that spans over 30 years of her oeuvre. Concordanza (1971) represents her modernist period, during which she explored atonality. Concordanza is an expression of Gubaidulina’s deep conviction that everything in the universe is one. The word ‘concordanza’ should therefore be understood as ‘unity’ rather than ‘harmony’.

Hommage à T.S. Eliot stands out because of the original use of instrumental colours and effects – Gubaidulina’s unique trademark. The choice of instruments is similar to that of Schubert’s Octet and the two are often programmed together. Aus den visionen der Hildegard von Bingen is a short song for solo alto with words by Hildegard von Bingen, the twelfth-century mystic.

The latest piece of this programme is Repentence, which was written for the unusual combination of three guitars, cello and double bass. Surprisingly, the combination of these purely acoustic instruments seems to suggest that Gubaidulina’s composition also includes electronics.