BIS here present a substantial addition to Sofia Gubaidulina’s discography to coincide with her 80th birthday.

Her music is intimately connected to her religious and philosophical beliefs. In the violin concerto In tempus praesens the numbers 1 and 3 – derived from the Holy Trinity – play an important role, as well as the concept of ‘Sophia’, implying divine wisdom and the creative power of God. The soloist here is Vadim Gluzman.

Another pillar of Gubaidulina’s musical thinking is rhythm, and this disc features her most recent work for percussion: Glorious Percussion received its first performance in 2008 by an international group of eminent percussionists adopting the work’s title as its name. In this world première recording of the work, the ensemble appears with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Nott.