Prologue

The Prologue for orchestra, written in 2020, refers to Sofia Gubaidulina's orchestral work The Wrath of God, which she had composed shortly before, and, as is so often the case in the composer's oeuvre, several of her works come together to form an overall complex that revolves around a specific idea and refers to a common material.
‘I actually wrote the work ‘The Wrath of God’ as a finale!’ comments the composer. ‘I'm always short of time ... But now I have time to write a prologue to this finale ‘The Wrath of God’ and at the same time to tie in with the thoughts of Martin Buber, to which my violin concerto refers. Incidentally, I always think of the end of a work first - or a passage just before the end. I don't know why that is.
In any case, the end always comes to me first. Both works - the ‘Wrath of God’ and the ‘Prologue’ - are dedicated to Beethoven. The prologue is intended to present the reason for the finale. And that is: Questions, questions, questions. In Beethoven's last string quartet, a phrase appears at the beginning of the last movement that has always fascinated me: Must it be? It has to be! I go one step further and ask: Must it be so? Yes, it has to be! ‘The wrath of God’ then gives the answer to this question ...’