Even though, per usual, I'm only going to give you a clip for the CCM, this month's sample is, for me, an object lesson in actively listening to a piece all the way through. Gubaidulina's works have become increasingly well-known and regularly performed in the last few decades and I've heard a decent handful of works over the years. So, when I came across the Offertorium I let out a little groan when I saw that it was based upon the subject of one of Bach's great masterpieces, The Musical Offering. Score in hand, I settled in to give it a fair shot, and as the first page or two went by, I became even more resigned. But, quickly, Gubaidulina brought the work in a whole different direction, expected on the one hand because of the nature of the piece, but unexpected in the places she brought it. I liked the piece quite a bit. In a way, it reminds me of the first time I read Bleak House. The first 150 pages or so I found utterly torturous, and then, almost turning on a dime, I couldn't put it down for the remaining 750 pages.

For this month's clip, I offer (pardon the pun) a relatively subdued snippet, showing Gubaidulina's acute sense of orchestral color.