Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, (Russian София Асгатовна Губаидулина, Tatar Sofia Äsğät qızı Ğöbäydullina) (born October 24, 1931) is a Russian-Tatar composer of deeply religious music.

During her studies in Soviet Russia, her music was labeled "irresponsible" for its exploration of alternate tunings. She was supported, however, by Dmitri Shostakovich, who in evaluating her final examination encouraged her to continue down her "mistaken path".

Gubaidulina's first internationally known piece was her violin concerto "Offertorium", made popular in the West by Gidon Kremer, to whom it was dedicated. She later composed a homage to T. S. Eliot, using the text from the poet's spiritual masterpiece Four Quartets.

In 2000 Sofia Gubaidulina, along with Tan Dun, Osvaldo Golijov, and Wolfgang Rihm, was commissioned by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart project to write a piece for the Passion 2000 project in commemoration of Johann Sebastian Bach. Her contribution was the Johannes-Passion. In 2002 she followed this by the Johannes-Ostern ("Easter according to John"). The two works together form a "diptych" on the death and resurrection of Christ, her largest work to date.

Gubaidulina was a co-founder and performer in Astreja, an improvisational group which employs Russian and Tatar folk instruments.

Contents

1 Quotations 2 Works 3 Discography 4 External links

Quotations

• "I am a religious person...and by 'religion' I mean re-ligio, the re-tying of a bond...restoring the legato of life. Life divides man into many pieces...There is no weightier occupation than the recomposition of spiritual integrity through the composition of music."

Works

• Quintet for piano, two violins, viola, and violoncello (1957)
• Night in Memphis cantata (1968)
• Vivente - Non Vivente" for electronics
• Ten Preludes for solo cello (1974)
• Concerto for bassoon and low strings (1975)
• Duo sonata for two bassoons (1977)
• Introitus concerto for piano and chamber orchestra (1978)
• In Croce for cello and organ (1979), for bayan and cello (1991)
• Offertorium
• Sieben Wörte for cello, bayan, and strings (1982)
• Quasi hoquetus for viola, bassoon, and piano (1984)
• Hommage à T.S. Eliot
• Hommage à Marina Tsvetayeva for a capella choir
• Stimmen... Verstummen symphony in twelve movements (1986)
• Rejoice! (Sonata for violin and cello)
• String Trio (1988)
• Alleluja for mixed chorus, boy soprano, organ and large orchestra (1990)
• Silenzio for bayan, violin, and cello (1991)
• Stufen for orchestra (1992)
• Dancer on a Tightrope (Der Seiltänzer) for violin and piano (1993)
• Ein Engel for alto and double bass (1994)
• String Quartet No. 4 with tape (1994)
• Quaternion for cello quartet (1996)
• Concerto for viola and orchestra (1996)
• Two Paths: A Dedication to Mary and Martha (1999)
• Johannes-Passion (2000)
• Johannes-Ostern (2001)

Discography

• The Canticle of the Sun (1997) and Music for Flute, Strings, and Percussion (1994). The first performed by cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich and London Voices conducted by Ryusuke Numajiri, the second by flutist Emmanuel Pahud and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rostropovich. Gubaidulina attended the recording of both pieces.

External links

• Classical.net: Sofia Gubaidulina (http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/gubaidulina.html)
• Schirmer: Sofia Gubaidulina (http://www.schirmer.com/composers/gubaidulina_bio.html)
• Structural Symbolism in the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/fay.neary/gubaidulina/) Fay Neary

---