Kancheli:Styx/Gubaidulina:Concerto

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Kancheli's Styx casts the viola as the mythological river that bridges life and death, the finite and the infinite. Typical of Kancheli's works, it's full of silences, long stretches of delicate pianissimo music, and eruptions of massive blocks of orchestral (and in this instance, choral) sound. Time seems suspended throughout its 34-minute length, and interest is held by the sound of Bashmet's viola, ranging from rich and deep to high, thin eeriness, and by the aura of mystery pervading the work. Gubaidulina's Viola Concerto shares some of those characteristics. It opens with a questioning viola solo and a halting, tentative-sounding orchestra, each punctuated by pregnant silences. Bashmet's viola is center-stage for most of the work and he plays with rapt concentration, bringing out the contrasts between light and shade that are a central motif of the work. Gubaidulina's Concerto shares Kancheli's sense of mystery, but her music has a tougher core. Both pieces are significant additions to the repertory, and it's hard to imagine better performances than those of Bashmet, Gergiev, and the other musicians. --Dan Davis