Music / Reflections on Sofia Gubaidulina (1931-2025), Ronan Apcar (piano) and Ellery String Quartet. At Wesley Music Centre, October 10. Reviewed by ALANNA MACLEAN.

This was a quite splendid introduction to the music of Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina.

Since she died earlier this year, it also served as a memorial, barely scratching the surface of what was clearly a rich career that’s well worth investigating. She wrote prolifically despite political difficulties, including music for film. 

Pianist Ronan Apcar introduced the selected works in a way that was both affable and knowledgeable.

The Ellery Quartet (violin 1, Brad Tham; violin 2, Anika Chan; viola, Pippa Newman and cello, Chloe Law) eased us into Gubaidulina’s own work and stressed her steps from old influences to the new.

Bach’s staid patterns in the unfinished Contrapunctus XIV (1751) took on a different vibrant life in Reflections on the Theme B-A-C-H (2002).

Next was a challenge in Dancer on a Tightrope (1993) where Tham challenged his violin, especially the bow, which bristled with broken hairs. Meanwhile Apcar went at the piano strings with a Waterford crystal glass and some thimbles. The results disturbingly suggested the teetering of the tightrope walker, coming close to, but never quite falling.

The program finished with Piano Quintet (1957), where the challenges were a little more conventional. But Gubaidulina’s music continued to surprise with lively demands for the players and with a certain abandonment of musical hierarchies.

Good to see a visual warmth and eye contact between the players as well as music, which did not always give the best bits to the first violin. 

This concert served as a totally enjoyable introduction to the music of Gubaidulina. She wrote much more than what was on this program and it would be good to hear more of it.