Et Exspecto

Sofia Gubaidulina’s frequently performed solo piece Et exspecto for bayan solo was composed in 1986. Like many other works by this profoundly religious composer, this one has a close connection to the Christian faith. With Et exspecto, Sofia Gubaidulina also refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Two sonic spheres come together in this work, now being published in the exempla nova series – a tonal chorale is confronted by blocks of clusters. The composer maintains this chorale in the first four movements; it is only absent from the fifth and final movement. What can be sensed by all listeners is the increasingly dissonant spectrum over the course of this composition, in which the noise of the air button on the Russian button-action bayan plays an important role. Sofia Gubaidulina has dedicated her Sonata for bayan solo to the editor Friedrich Lips.