Timbre, texture and spiritual symbolism in Gubaidulina's two works, De profundis and Et expecto. Aural sonology as a tool to explore sonic and structural aspects of interpretation in contemporary accordion music

Abstract

Abstract This thesis concerns multiple aural analyses of the pieces for accordion by Sofia Gubaidulina; De Profundis and Et Exspecto. Through aural sonology, this research focuses on the exploration of emerging gestalts through performance and interpretation. Unlike a traditional analysis of the music manifested in the score, this approach concerns sonic and structural elements that are heard through the recorded performance. Gubaidulina is considered as one of the leading avant-garde personalities that entered the creative scene in the early 1960s, during the isolation of the «Iron Curtain» in the Soviet Union. As a professed orthodox Christian, Gubaidulina is recognized for using religious symbolism in her music. The goal of this thesis is to ascertain which timbral musical objects are heard, illuminate the structural forms of the music and make an interpretation of the symbolic meaning in the chosen works. If the reader is interested in seeing the aural analyses, they can use the following link: http://bit.ly/2prw7y4