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‘The Eucharist in my fantasy’: Interview with Sofia Gubaidulina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Vera Lukomsky
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Extract

In the process of my research on the topic ‘The Soviet Avant-Garde from the 1970s to the present’, I learned that one of the heroes (actually, the heroine) of my studies, Sofia Gubaidulina, had been invited by San Jose State University School of Music for a festival of her music. The annual festivals in the SJSU, called ‘The Annual Guest Composers Series’, are each dedicated to the music of a specific contemporary composer. The guests of previous ‘Series’ were Morton Subotnik (1993) and Mario Davidowsky (1994); the festival in 1995 was devoted to Gubaidulina; George Crumb was selected for the following festival in 1996.

Type
Research Article
Information
Tempo , Issue 206 , October 1998 , pp. 29 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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References

1 Tsvetaeva's cycle Chas Dushi was written in 1923. It consists of three poems; for her concerto, Gubaidulina chose to set the second poem.

2 In the Tatar Autonomous Republic.

3 Marina committed suicide in 1941 in Elabuga, where she was evacuated together with the Association of Soviet Writers. She was in despair, because she was rejected in all places where she applied for a job. Tsvetaeva felt that she had been expelled from Soviet society, and she was right in hei assumption: recently it has come to light that there was secret decision taken by the authorities not to accept her for any job. The Soviet system could not forgive Tsvetaeva': emigration to France in 1922, and her refusal to become KGB informer after he repatriation in 1939.

4 The protagonist of this popular ‘low style’ song, Fried Chicken, was arrested on Nevsky prospect in St. Petersburg because he had no passport:

Fried Chicken, steamed Chicken

Was strolling along Nevsky Prospect.

He was caught arrested, and asked to show his passport.

He did not show it and tried to vindicate himself.

The patrol did not listen to him, and ate him immediately.

5 This inspiring and optimistic song appeals to patriotic feelings, portraying the free and happy citizens of a socialist state:

A person who is merry – laughs.

Who strives for something will achieve it

Who seeks for something – will certainly find it

6 Aus dem Stundenbiich (1983) – a concerto for cello, orchestra, male choir and female speaker. Text by Rainer Maria Rilke (in German).

7 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) wrote Das Stundenbiich after his trips to Russia in 1899 and 1900. Its German title comes from the church ritual that consists in reciting certain prayers at certain hours during the day. These prayers are also called ‘The Hours’. Gubaidulina chose to set the first part of Das Stundenbtuh, titled Vom mömhischen Leben (from Monks' Life).

8 Gubaidulina read these verses by heart in English although she speaks very little English.

9 Chuvashes are a minority of Turkic origin within the Russian Federation. Their autonomous republic is located on the West bank of the Volga, not far from the Tatar autonomous republic on the East bank, which is Cubaidulina's motherland. Gennadi Aigi (born in 1934) is recognized as one of the most important and original poets writing in Russian (as well as in Chuvashian) today. Literary scholars note in his poetry a strong symbolist mysticism and futuristic experimentation with Russian language.

10 Teper' vsegda snega (Now Always Snow) 1993, for chamber ensemble and chamber choir.

11 According to the Dictionary of Russian Taboo Expressions, the word bla has three meanings: 1) variants of bliad (whore, bitch, slut); 2) after all, anyway; 3) general intensifier. See: Russian-English Dictionary of Taboo Expressions. Compiled by Aleksandr Volkov. Minsk: PKF ‘Petit’, 1933 Google Scholar.

12 A Golden section is a division of the whole into two parts such that the ratio of the smaller to the larger is the same as that of the larger to the whole (the approximate formula of this ratio is 0.618 to 1).

13 Fibonacci (1180–1228), also known as Leonardo of Pisa, was a merchant who travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, where he came into contact with mathematical works of the Arabic world. Fibonacci's famous rabbit problem appeared in his book Liber Abaci where he introduced Arabic notation for numerals and their algorithms into the European world.

14 The Fibonacci row (or series) is a sequence of numbers, in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 …). The ratio between any two neighbouring numbers is an approximation of the Golden section. The exact mathematical expression of this ratio cannot be expressed by natural numbers (the approximate formula is 0.618 …). The further one progresses along the Fibonacci row, the closer the ratio comes to the ‘ideal point’ of the Golden section, but without, however, actually reaching it (i.e. the ratio 3:5 is closer to the ‘ideal point’ than 2:3, but farther from the ‘ideal’ than 5:8).