In memoriam Sofia Gubaidulina (1931–2025)

In the organizer's words:

Program:

• From the Visions of Hildegard von Bingen for alto solo (1994)
• Sonata for piano (1965)
• Ten Preludes for cello solo (1974) (a selection)
• Roses for soprano and piano (1972)
• Chaconne for piano (1963)
• Sonatina for flute solo (1978)
• De Profundis for bayan solo (1978)
• Letter to the poet Rimma Dalos for soprano and cello (1985)
• In Croce for cello and bayan (1991)

Natalia Pschenitschnikova (RU/DE) - voice, flute

Mikhail Mordvinov (RU/DE) - piano

Dirk Wietheger (DE) - violoncello

Roman Yusipey (UA/DE) - bayan

Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, born on October 24, 1931 and died on March 13, 2025, was a Russian composer whose oeuvre included more than a hundred symphonic works, compositions for soloists, choir and orchestra, instrumental ensembles, music for theater, cinema and animated films.

She belonged to the generation of Alfred Schnittke and Edison Denisov, and her distinctive music used wild, modernist gestures to create a lucid, expressive world.

In her younger years, she received advice from Dmitri Shostakovich: "I wish you to continue on your 'wrong' path." These words encouraged the young composer to remain true to her path, although this also led to various difficulties. In the 1970s, she was blacklisted in the Soviet Union along with six other composers for producing "noisy mud instead of genuine musical innovation". After the intellectual and political change around 1986, Sofia Gubaidulina was finally given more freedom. The composer had been living in Germany near Hamburg since 1992.

Born into a Tatar-Russian family, she had various religious influences. Her grandfather was a mullah, and Sofia was baptized Russian Orthodox at the age of 39. As a deeply spiritual person, Gubaidulina defined "re-ligio" as "re-legato" or the restoration of the connection between oneself and the absolute: "There is no more important reason for composing music than spiritual restoration".

She was the recipient of numerous titles and awards, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and was inducted into the Order Pour le Mérite.

Price information:

18 € | 12 € reduced (for members of the In Situ Art Society: 12 € | 8 € reduced)