Gramophone: outstanding; Fono Forum: outstanding. This recording brings together three important early works by Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931), whose music combines Russian traditions, avant-garde exploration, and spiritual symbolism. The Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings (1975), written for Valeri Popov, casts the bassoon as a solitary “character” battling triviality in a tragicomic drama, its structure unfolding as a reimagined sonata form. Concordanza (1971), commissioned by Prague’s Musica Viva ensemble, is a single-movement chamber work built on the tensions between concord and discord, expressed through contrasts of legato and staccato, flowing lines and fragmented gestures. In Detto II (1972) for cello and ensemble, the narrative unfolds through expressive quarter-tone glissandi, growing from meditative calm to powerful intensity before subsiding into quiet contemplation. Harri Ahmas (bassoon) and Ilkka Piili (cello) are featured soloists with the Lahti Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Osmo Vänskä. Their performances highlight Gubaidulina’s fascination with sound color, dramatic form, and the search for deeper meaning in music.