Traditional And Modern Blend Of Crystallization

Sofia Agatova Gubaidulina(1931-) is the most important Russian composer after Shostakovich and one of the most creative avant-garde composers in 20^th century.As she is an enthusiastic Orthodox Christian,her composition is full of religious atmosphere with profound connotations,and her music is greatly philosophical and always thought-provoking.She expresses various contents combining traditional and modernist compositional techniques."Offertorium",a violin concerto that established Gubaidulina's fame,was finished in 1980.The religious contents of this work deeply move the audience.This thesis analyzes the compositional techniques of this work and relates to the religious contents it expresses,thus further comprehending the unique innovation in this two aspects made by the composer.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter I mainly summarizes Gubaidulina's personal history and compositional periods,and gives a general view on the formation of her style.This chapter involves the influences of life and social environment on the compositional style of the composer,and the embodiment of religious elements on Gubaidulina's works.The other chapters analyze the techniques of "Offertorium" in detail,including the third,fourth,fifth and sixth chapters.Principle of variation is one of the most notable characteristics of this composition.The whole composition is a variation based on Bach's "offertorium theme".As a main line of the whole composition,principle of variation becomes the structural force of the whole composition.In the composition,the composer delicately designs eleven variations of Bach's "offertorium theme".This design,perceptual as well as rational,embodies the composer's religious idea that "dedication needs sacrifice".In addition,this part refers to the source of the composition's theme,puts forward the opinion that the reason design of form serves for the religious contents of the work,and illustrates the roles of the organizational pattern of pitch and other music elements in expressing the content of music.The thesis ends with the conclusion on the composition.