Sonata «Rejoice!» for Violin and Violoncello by Sofia Gubaidulina: a Dialogue with Grigory Skovoroda’s Philosophy

Abstract

The paper examines the influence of the Skovoroda’s philosophy on the concept of the Gubaidulina’s Sonata. One of the philosopher’s major ideas and its revision by the composer are considered, namely the possibility for a person to find true happiness, when he feels the presence of God in the heart. The author of the paper describes the genre associations and the elaborated system of musical symbolism as the ways to embody religious and philosophical ideas in the score.