belief, spirituality, and mysticism in the music of sofia...
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Belief, Spirituality, and Mysticismin the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina
ASEEES Annual Convention
November 23–26, 2019
“Two Distinct Systems of Belief: Religious Expression
in Soviet Music and Musicians’ Belief in the Soviet System”
Saturday, November 23, 2:00 to 3:45pm
Philip Ewell, Hunter College, CUNY
and the CUNY Graduate Center
www.philipewell.com
• Berry, Michael. “The Importance of Bodily Gesture in Sofia Gubaidulina’s Music for Low Strings.” Music Theory Online 15.5 (October 2009)
• Biber, Julia A., "Ten Etudes for Solo Cello by Sofia Gubaidulina" PhD Diss., the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (2016).
• Ewell, Philip. “The Parameter Complex in the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina.” Music Theory Online 20.3 (September 2014).
• Kholopova, Valentina. София Губайдулина: Монография (Sofia Gubaidulina: a Monograph). 3rd edition. Moscow: Kompozitor, 2011. (Originally published in 1992.)
• Kholopova, Valentina. �Параметр экспрессии в музыкальном языкеСофии Губайдулиной� (The expression parameter in the music of Sofia Gubaidulina). Moscow Forum. International Conference Proceedings. Vol. 25: 153–160. Moscow: Moscow Conservatory, 1999.
• Kurtz, Michael. Sofia Gubaidulina: a Biography. Translated by Christoph K. Lohmann. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007.
• Lukomsky, Vera, and Sofia Gubaidulina. “My Desire Is Always to Rebel, to Swim against the Stream!” Perspectives of New Music 36/1 (Winter 1998): 5–41. 2
Main sources on which this talk is based
Kholopova on the Expression Parameter (EP)in Gubaidulina’s Music (Kholopova 1999)
“The ‘Expression Parameter’ is so named because its elements are very immediate in emphasis and directly convey a musical-emotional expression. Despite its name, it belongs not to the category of musical character but, rather, to that of musical composition, standing in an array of such concepts as harmony, rhythm, and texture.”
Параметр носит название «параметр экспрессии» по той причине, что его элементы особенно непосредственны по выразительности, прямо выражают музыкально-эмоциональную экспрессию. Несмотря на название, он принадлежит не категории музыкального образа, а категории музыкальной композиции, и стоит в ряду таких понятий, как гармония, ритмика, фактура. (153-154)
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More on the EP (Kholopova 1999)“At the basis of the EP lie those elements of music that are not yet recognized as structural in the history of composition: the devices of articulation and the methods of sound derivation, which in the past have pertained to the performer and not the composer. Several elements of melody, rhythm, and texture—organized in a specific fashion—are associated with these devices of articulation. That is has a clear functional organization, similar to how classical harmony is organized by ‘T, S, D’ functions, serves as an indicator and guarantee of the EP’s existence.”
В основе ПЭ лежат элементы музыкального языка, еще не осознававшиеся в истории музыкальной композиции как структурные, — приемы артикуляции и способы звукоизвлечения, принадлежавшие в прошлом творчеству не композитора, а исполнения. К ним присоединяются некоторые элементы мелодики, ритмики и фактуры, организованные определенным образом. Показателем и гарантом существования ПЭ служит то, что он имеет четкую функциональную организацию, подобно тому, как классическая гармонияорганизована функциями T, S, D. (154)
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The Parameter Complex for Gubaidulina’s Concordanza (1971)(From Kholopova, 1999)
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Consonant EPs Dissonant EPs1. Articulations and Means
of Pitch Derivation:• Legato
• Arco strings• Cantabile voice
1. Articulations and Means of Pitch Derivation:
• Staccato, Accents, Tremolo, Trills
• Pizzicato Strings• Sotto voce, Sprechstimme,
Sprechgesang
2. Melody:• Smooth movement• Smaller intervals
2. Melody:• Leaps• Wider intervals
3. Rhythm:• Monorhythmic
3. Rhythm:• Polyrhythmic
4. Texture:• Continuous
4. Texture:• Discontinuous
5. Compositional Writing:• Precise
5. Compositional Writing:• Aleatoric
On Concordanza (Kholopova 1999)
�If we analyze the form of Gubaidulina’s Concordanza traditionally, in terms of themes,
we find a through composition ‘a, b, c, d, e, f, g…,’ with a small reprise of ‘a’ at the end. Such a composition would seem formless and weakly organized. However, when we
examine the piece in terms of the EP and its functions, we discover a wonderful unity
of form with just two contrasting layers, which result in ‘macrothemes.’ A
macrotheme…in contrast to the normal classical theme, stretches from the beginning
to the end of the composition, albeit with possible breaks.”
Если форму такой пьесы, как Concordanza Губайдулиной, мы попытались бы
проанализировать традиционным способом, на основе тематизма, то
обнаружили бы сквозную конструкцию a b c d e f g…, замкнутую краткой репризой
а. Такая композиция выглядела бы довольно бесформенной, слабо
организованной. Когда же мы рассматриваем пьесу с позиций ПЭ и его функций, то открываем замечательное единство формы — на основе всего лишь двух
контрастных слоев, которые в этом случае получают значение «макротем».
Макротема…в отличие от обычной классической темы, — это тема, тянущаяся от
начала до конца произведения, хотя и с возможными перерывами. (155)
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On Concordanza (Kholopova 1999)
“Thus, instead of a formless multithematic structure, a functionally organized bithematic structure—corresponding to the consonant-dissonant-EP functional pair—is revealed. During Concordanza, two macrothemes variously interact with each other, arriving at quiet and dynamic culminations and, ultimately, the dissonant theme impacts the consonant theme, in the last section with the thematic reprise of ‘a.’”
Таким образом, вместо бесформенной многотемностиобнаруживается функционально организованная двухтемность, соответствующая функциональной паре консонанса и диссонанса экспрессии. В течение произведения две макротемы многообразно взаимодействуют друг с другом, приходя то к тихой, то к динамической кульминации, и в конце концов диссонантная тема оказывает воздействие на консонантную — в последнем разделе, с тематической репризой (а). (155)
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Kholopova’s EP Analysis of Concordanza(Entire Piece, Rehearsal Numbers on Top)
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Macrotheme 1:
Macrotheme 2:
Quiet Culmination Dynamic Culmination
Dissonant EPs
Consonant EPs
Michael Kurtz, on Concordanza and subsequent works (2007)
“Concordanza stands at the beginning of a new chapter in Gubaidulina’s creative work, regarding both technique…and her general religious and spiritual attitude toward her work as a composer.
In later years Gubaidulina often said that art has a religious function, that in the ‘staccato’ of life it must restore the ‘legato.’ Art is the re-ligio (connection) to God in our fragmented, quotidian life. The religious intensity and drama that had found direct expression through the existential situation in her earlier cantatas now began to shape the
music itself, which in all its dimensions suggests religious feeling and religious intention. Titles like Concordanza and notations such as
staccato and legato took on connotations suggesting the religious dimension” (95-96).
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Other Possible Parameters:
•Dynamics•Fermatas•Meter•Contour•Number of notes in group•Motion by step/leap•What string to play•Etc.
Michael Berry on Gesture in Gubaidulina (2009)
“Sofia Gubaidulina is one of many composers whose music features an increased attention to the body.… In some instances, I would argue that practical bodily gestures—those movements of the body that are concerned with producing sound from one’s instrument—are actually more important to the work than the resulting sounds” (paragraph 2).
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Gubaidulina, Ten Preludes for Solo Cello (1974)
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The Parameter Complex for Gubaidulina’s 7th Prelude for Solo Cello (1974)
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Consonant EPs Dissonant EPs1. Articulations and Means of Pitch
Derivation:• Up bow• No accents• Piano dynamic• Either tip or frog• Playing at the tip• Practical gesture (from Berry)
1. Articulations and Means of Pitch Derivation:
• Down bow• Accents• Forte dynamic• Détaché• Playing at the frog• Expressive gesture (from Berry)
2. Melody:• Ascending Chromatic Scale• Any other grouping
2. Melody:• Descending Chromatic Scale• Group of 5 notes
3. Texture:• Stepwise motion• Two leaps within stepwise motion
3. Texture:• Leaps• Consecutive leaps
About Seven Words, for cello, bayan,and strings, Gubaidulina says:
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“As a specific feature of Seven Words (1982), I would point to the symbols of the cross. There are many crosses of different kinds: for example, numerous extensions and narrowings of the musical space in the cello part. . . . The crucial thing for me was the idea of the crucifixion. I like very much the idea of instrumental symbolism, when the instrument itself, its nature and individuality, hints at or implies a certain meaning. . . . I wanted to find the idea of the cross in the instruments themselves. The first thing that came to mind, obviously, was the “crucifixion” of a string. This idea is employed throughout the entire composition, from the very beginning” (Lukomsky 1998, 20).
Prelude 7 Demo
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Thanks!
Belief, Spirituality, and Mysticism in the Musicof Sofia Gubaidulina
ASEEES Annual ConventionNovember 23–26, 2019
“Two Distinct Systems of Belief: Religious Expressionin Soviet Music and Musicians’ Belief in the Soviet System”
Saturday, November 23, 2:00 to 3:45pm
Philip Ewell, Hunter College, CUNYand the CUNY Graduate Center