Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten, scored for flute, viola, harp and narrator, was dedicated to 20th-century German poet Francisco Tanzer, and inspired by two literary works, pertaining to two contrasting worlds. These include the prose poem Sayat-Nova by Iv Oganov (Moscow) and the Western verses of Tanzer himself. As the title of the piece implies, the trio is strongly influenced by the colourful exoticism of Oganov's text, which includes such phrases as "The revelation of the rose", "The ordeal of a flower's pain", "The peal of the singing garden grew", "the lotus was set aflame by music", and "The white garden began to ring again with diamond borders." From the verses of Tanzer (which are recited ad libitum at the end of the piece) emanates the concept of the world's eternity: "When is it really over? What is the real end?... tomorrow we shall play another game." Cholopova explains how these two themes operate not as opponents, but as philosophies of independent origin, with a potential for congruency:
The book of Oganov and the verses of Tanzer find an unexpected spiritual correspondence in the soul of Gubaidulina, together with a commonality of thought. The words of the composer testify to the musical construct of an "ecstatic blooming of a garden" which indulges in the reflection of all extremes of the world and its incessant life.
Cholopova further investigates the symbolism abound in the subject matter, explaining that the "garden" represents an Islamic paradise, in which the lotus flower blooms; it is also the oriental term to indicate the "world" in general, and an oriental symbol for flourishing life. The choice of instrumentation also forms symbolic associations, arising from the fact that "very antique instruments like the harp and the flute, for some time now, have become real personalities in oriental and occidental poetry, garnering in their own way a real and specific symbolism."
Turning to the music itself, it is evident that the thematic and instrumental dramaturgy underlying In Croce lies also at the heart of this work. Three main musical elements feature in the early stages: a chromatic melody in the flute, moving symmetrically on either side of a central pitch, "A". The same note (A) is sustained in the harp, meandering by a semitone in both directions, by means of long glissandi obtained by the tuning key. The third element appears in the viola part, after some duration, an arpeggiated glissando of natural harmonics, on the D string.
The way in which these three elements interact is similar to that of In Croce. Starting out as distinctive personalities, the elements transform to become one another, aided in this respect by certain potential commonalities inherent within them. This concept shall now be examined in a more detailed analysis of the piece.
Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten can be divided into three sections, identical to those of In Croce. These are exposition (RN0-8), long development (9-41) and recapitulation (42-end.)
The exposition consists of the setting up of the three musical characters, thereby establishing their clear instrumental associations. These can be summarised as follows:
Theme A: chromatic melody: flute
Theme B: prolongation of single note with wide vibrato: harp
Theme C: glissando of harmonics: viola
The material of the harp and viola remains more or less the same throughout the exposition, representing a "flickering", inwardly moving stasis similar to that of In Croce. The flute motif, however, is evolutional, gradually accumulating pitches, and then forming from these pitches two distinct melodic cells, which come to be utilised throughout the entire piece. Figure "Ex" traces the evolution of these cells in their various stages. In stage 1, the cells consist of two notes, an upward and a downward semitone respectively. Stage 2 incorporates a minor 6th, again, respectively ascending and descending. Stage three combines the two cells, such that they appear within one melodic gesture. In stage 4, the B flat, which made its appearance at the beginning, attaches itself to the descending 6th, but never appears alongside the ascending 6th, F. Fig. Ex v demonstrates the combinations of notes encountered by the onset of RN4. Three main combinations exist (represented in Ex v by three beamings), but these can also be broken down into smaller combinations of their respective members, forming among themselves 2- or 3-note cells. Towards the end of the exposition, the pitches begin to drop out in reverse order, effectively completing the evolutional cycle, in preparation for the developmental manipulation to be undergone in the ensuing sections.
The symmetrical feature of theme A is one which is immediately perceivable at the beginning of the piece,1 and essential to the conceptual theme underlying its dramaturgical personality. Its manner of delivery plays with the listener's perception. Although by all appearance the axis of symmetry lies at the pitch "A", this apprehension is thwarted by the advent of the low C, a subtle extension of the minor 6th that forms the melodic cell's upper limit. This discrepancy is partially allayed (or perhaps intensified) by the viola's entrance on a prominent F#, thereby expanding the upper interval to a major 6th. The genetic association afforded by this binary cellular divide corresponds to the evolutional character of theme A, and also to its later development, where it continues to branch out and re-establish itself on new melodic levels.
The viola, the last instrument to be introduced, is left sounding on its own at the end of the exposition, and is the first instrument to depart from its initial identity. It does so by way of a 4-bar "bridge passage" (RN8) occurring between exposition and development, where it abandons the A6 harmonic, changing abruptly in terms of pitch, timbre, dynamic and rhythmic character, to introduce an expressive lower register F natural. The combination of the departed A and the newly announced F natural forms the basis for a new motivic idea which takes place in RN9.
The development section is, once again, in moment form. I shall introduce each moment with a brief summary of its thematic content (that is, the dramaturgical themes discussed earlier: A, B and C.)
Theme C: major and minor 3rd: all instruments
Themes A and B: semitone links between trills: all instruments
Heralded by the abruptly transformed viola "bridge passage", the official onset of the development (that is, the point at which the new idea is fully established) forms an abrupt break with past material. The fact that all instruments appear, for the first time, united in one motivic idea is perhaps the clearest indication of a turn of event. The motivic cell itself is considerably different, although a link with preceding material can be inferred from the major third which forms its basis and the earlier theme C (viola theme), from whose triadic material can be extracted both major and minor thirds. The longer-term melodic structure consists of a series of major and minor third trills, linked to one another by a semitone, or, occasionally, a tone (see fig. 1.) At the 5/4 bar, some of the trills begin to be connected by a minor or major third (thus the foreground detail makes its mark upon the middleground structure), although this tendency peters out towards the end of RN10. The minor third becomes filled out by intervals decreasing gradually in size, until the initial structure prevails once more.
Moment 2 experiments with the semitonal and minor 6th content of theme A. The relatively large interval of the minor 6th enables the viola to make a quick two-octave plummet, returning promptly to a medium-register pitch (C5), whence it begins a more drawn-out ascent, alongside the other instruments, at RN12 (Fig. 2.) Figure 2 ii graphs a compressed version of the viola melody at RN12. The [0,8,9] cells of theme A are identified by diagonal beams, and the gradual chromatic ascents, taking place on three levels, by horizontal beams. A similar pattern occurs meanwhile in the flute melody at RN12 (see fig. 2 iii.) Examining the ranges of chromatic ascent in the viola and the flute, side-by-side, it is evident that the ranges of the three levels are almost identical among the two instruments, the single exception being the lower extremity of the bottom level, which is a semitone lower in the viola than in the flute (see fig. 2 iv.) The harp, meanwhile, announces a fresh idea, namely the whole-tone scale. Although this seems to depart from earlier thematic material, a connection with theme B can be forged by virtue of its manner of emergence (that is, the fanning-out from a central pitch.) Thus the whole-tone scale moves up and down about a central pivot, which itself slowly rises, as new pitches accumulate in the upper register, pushing the sound-mass upwards (2 v.)
At RN13, the harp and viola are united on the harmonic glissandi theme, this time based on G. The flute enters at RN14, with a brief statement of theme A, but soon breaks from this to form a chromatic ascent to D6, a pitch which still prevails in the harmonic glissando of the other instruments. By way of this short-lived gesture, the flute insinuates a unity between themes A and C, melodically bridging the central pitches of both, which lie within an octave of one another.
Moment 4 is linked to the previous moment by way of an ostinato pattern taking place on the harp and viola. This pattern, [0,2,5,7], can be heard as a manipulation of theme C (all pitches except for the lowest belonging to the preceding G-based harmonic series), or as an extension of the symmetrical whole-tone idea occurring in moment 2. According to the latter interpretation, a theoretical line of symmetry exists around E, from which unstated pitch the beginnings of an upward and a downward whole-tone scale can be identified. This idea is cut short by the entry of the flute in RN17. The flute melody here performs a similar task to that of moment 2, comprised as it is of [0,8,9] cells. The middleground melodic structure, however, is the inverse of its counterpart in moment 2, namely a three-level chromatic descent, whose ranges almost fill in the gaps between the ranges of the moment 2 levels (see fig. 4 i.) Towards the end of the melody, the [0,8,9] pattern starts to break up, as the minor 6th interval is extended, first to a major 6th, and then to a major 7th. Already under mutational "attack", the flute melody fades out to "give way" to the entry of the viola and harp in RN 18.
The symmetrical whole-tone pattern is resumed in the harp and viola at RN18, built this time on a different set of pitches: A flat, G flat, E flat and D flat in the harp, and A, G and E in the viola. Rather than continue to fan out in two directions, the sound-mass gradually ascends (much like that of moment 2) to span approximately two octaves on each melodic level. There are a total of four melodic levels, two in each instrument. Those of the viola ascend congruently, mapping out two whole-tone scales, built on adjacent chromatic starting pitches. Those of the harp, representing the outer edges of the instrument's sound-mass, ascend independently of one another, the lower voice lying dormant for a while, as the sound-mass opens out at the upper end. They are not strictly whole-tone, but contain occasional chromatic passing tones.
Moment 5 recalls that moment of In Croce where a "near-death" is simulated, dramaturgically, by the build-up of material gathering momentum, and eventually cascading to the lowest register. Whereas the dramatic personalities of In Croce seem to be in conflict, those of Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten are continually congruent, a condition unlikely to lead to cataclysmic destruction. Thus the corresponding moment (in Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten) of mounting intensity and consequent downfall is less pugnacious, but characterised, rather, by an increase in variation and a thickening of texture.
The moment can be divided into three parts, which I shall label 5a (RN20-1), 5b (RN 22-3), and 5c (RN24-5). I have divided the moment thus in order to present formally the dramaturgical structure. Accordingly, 5a represents the appearance of familiar material in a variety of colours. 5b represents the first hint of a downfall, followed by a general build-up of material, which, in 5c, plummets wildly to a low register.
Taking a closer look at these sections, 5a consists of an expansion of the C-based harmonic series, which occurs gradually in the flute, in arpeggiated fashion. These pitches are presented in order of appearance in fig. 5a i. The same pattern occurs in the harp, accompanied by a mirror image of those intervallic increments at the top of the harmonic series, occurring in the bass. This mirror-image in the bass is not a strict one, and not so detailed, but there is enough in terms of chromatic content to imply the expansion of the harmonic series into the lower register, such that it unites the preceding harmonics theme to the chromatic cluster theme that follows (see fig. 5a ii.) In RN 21, three levels of glissando clusters are established in the harp, a short-lived idea that becomes developed in 5b. The material of the viola, meanwhile, is similar to that of the harp. Following a prolonged array of pizzicato harmonics, three levels of clusters are implied by glissando triple-stops. 5b begins with an attempt at collapse - a chromatic tremolo descent, reinforced in this respect by a fading dynamic level. The descent is undermined by a corresponding upward gesture in the viola, which delays the imminent collapse, leading into a resurgence of the harmonics motif. The harp returns with cluster-chords, again on three levels, but less obviously so, since the levels occur in a more random order. From the rich spattering of clusters, however, can be traced a gradual ascent on three levels, which, in the upper two "voices" (see fig. 5b), reach the registeral summit from which 5c takes off. The lowest voice climbs steadily from B flat 1 to A flat 2, at which point it fans out to prolong a wide cluster between B flat 1 and D flat 3. This too prepares for the broad registeral compass that is to characterise 5c. Meanwhile, an already rich fabric of activity is overloaded thematically by the prolongation of harmonics in the viola, and the emergence of theme B in the flute (of impulsive dynamic and timbral character, and increasing in volume.) The sudden eruption in RN 24, then, is fully justified. This registeral plummet may be considered as a stepwise descent, occurring on five levels (see fig. 5c.) Accordingly, the pitches occurring at the end of the descent in each voice reassert themselves in a different register (the lowest voice remaining, however, at the same register.) Since the pitch-classes among some of the voices are identical (at the end of the 5-level descent) the registeral transfers of these pitches (see fig. 5c) narrow the five voices down to three. This acts as a textural preparation for the three-note clusters in RN 25. The chords at RN 25 represent an absolute cessation of activity, and, registerally, a sensation of having reached rock bottom. The resolute fortissimo, however, and the fact that the chords are inwardly mobile (due to timbral disturbances caused by touching the strings with the tuning key) implies a defiant spirit intent on restructure, bound for a course of continued activity.
The dramaturgy of moment 6 corresponds to that of the similar passage of In Croce, where the "spirit" attempts to reconstruct after near-fatal collapse. Since the forces of Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten are generally less in conflict (as compared with those of In Croce) and consequently their collapse is less severe, the subsequent move towards restructure is less tentative. Hence the continuation at this point, tentative only in terms of instrumental isolation, resumes the thematic content of theme A, formed of trichord [0,1,9], and immediately embarks on a course of integral development. Corresponding also to that parallel moment of In Croce is the fact that genetic rebuild takes place in the form of a solo cadenza. This owes itself, perhaps, to the fact that the Cadenza is the purest, most clearly perceivable medium of thematic statement. Forming associations with its historical concerto context, the cadenza is the moment at which attention is optimally transfixed on the soloist. The relationship between performer and listener is intimate, and conducive to a most complete awareness of the soloist's capabilities, and of the building blocks which underlie the themes of the work. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that Gubaidulina takes advantage of the role historically attached to the cadenza, using it as a means of conveying the most thorough, organic formation encountered in the work thus far.
Figure 6i maps out the three-level melodic structure, which unfolds in the course of the cadenza. On each melodic level there appears a strictly chromatic ascent, disguised by frequent returns to the earlier pitches and the process whereby a pitch is occasionally overstepped and "filled in" in hindsight (see figure 6i, voice II.) Thus each melodic level rises to cross or touch the level above, such that eventually the whole range from top to bottom is traversed in semitones. Each level returns part-way so that, when each level is reduced to a skeleton comprised of its starting pitch, highest pitch, and final pitch (see figure 6ii) a pattern is formed which mimics the contour of the foreground material (trichord [0,1,9].) Moving from the skeleton of level 1 to that of levels 2 and 3, the first interval is seen to increase in size, a gesture which mirrors earlier attempts (in earlier moments) to transform the cell in this way. A more detailed look at the foreground material of the cadenza reveals similar treatment of the trichord. Figure 6iii contains examples of cells with the same contour as the trichord, in order of their appearance throughout the cadenza. The original (and authentic) occurrence consists of an interval of a minor second, "a", and an interval of a minor 6th, "b". Throughout RNs 26 and 27, interval a is widened, but b remains the same. From RN 28 onwards interval b is also widened, although the general contour of the cells continues to be preserved.
Moment 7 is characterised by an increasing interplay of the three themes. Beginning at RN 29, the three instruments enter independently, freely exchanging ideas, and reinforcing one another's gestures through imitation. Since the whole of the moment is held together in this way, and also by rhythmic ostinati (particularly in the harp), by pitch repetitions (particularly of "C")2 and by a centric melodic hovering around C, the stylistic cohesiveness of this section is more convincing than that of the earlier moments. Appearing directly after the moment of genetic restructure (the cadenza) this mode of carefully-controlled delivery serves to reintroduce elements of timbral variety, instrumental interaction and textural richness, without jeopardising the sense of organic continuity established in the cadenza. In a manner not unlike the exposition, the thematic elements re-emerge one by one. Since they occur in accumulative prolongation, and are not developed, the thematic summary above needs no further explanation here.
At the end of RN 33, only the viola breaks away from its ostinato pattern, to meander up and down the register, before establishing, in RN 34, a new pitch, "D".
RN 34 is a strategic point of change, not only in terms of pitch centre (the flute and harp move gradually away from a pitch centre, while the viola prolongs the new pitch, "D"), but also in terms of thematic treatment, namely the return of long-term melodic patterns taking place in the background. While the viola expands the theme B material to encompass the whole range of the instrument, the flute duplicates this geometric fanning-out, as its combination of [0,1,8] trichords and minor seconds stretch up and down the register. The long-term goal is a gradual ascent, taking place on two levels, accompanied by a partial descent (including a registeral gap) in the lowest voice (figure 8i.) The top voice continues to ascend alone in RN 35, abandoning the [0,1,8] trichord, and moving only in semitones, until the final gesture of the moment, rendered complete by a C# harmonic (which is to become a significant feature of moment 9.)
The harp begins a three-note cluster pattern at RN 34, which immediately descends to a low trichord, [0,1,2]. The trichord itself is not significant, but the pitches stated so far (D, C#, B#, F flat and E flat) are. From this point onwards, only an A flat is added to this collection, which, together with the other 5 pitches, forms a group of six pitch-classes (see figure 8ii) which accounts for all the pitches occurring in the remainder of the moment. Throughout RNs 34 and 35 these appear in the form of arbitrarily sized chords, leaping randomly throughout the harp register. Four of the pitches are derived from the "theme A-based" ostinato pattern of moment 7 (F flat, B#, D flat, A flat, D flat, B#, F flat), which continues, throughout moment 8, to meander between the chords. Considering these four pitches alongside the additional two (in the chords of moment 8) there can be abstracted several trichords which relate to theme A material: [0,1,9], its inverse [0,8,9], its most common modification, [0,1,8], and the semitonal trichord [0,1,2] which characterises its point of symmetry [see also Fig EX v]. The ostinato pattern prolonged in the harp in RNs 36-7 is also derived from these six pitch-classes.
I have chosen to categorise together the somewhat contrasting material of RNs 38-41, since it is all united by a long-term transfer of centricity (from A to D) and by a gradual reclaiming among the instruments of their original thematic identities.
RN 38 is dominated by theme C, a prolongation of the A-major triad. The flute and the viola each contribute a single pitch to this triad (C# and E respectively.) The full triad is provided by the harp, which effectively merges both themes A and C by virtue of its familiar trichordal content and by the fact that all of the pitches utilised are either members of the A major triad, or neighbour-notes of these pitches. Figure 9i sketches a reduction of the gradual harp descent in RN 38. The pitches belonging to the triad are stemmed, and their neighbour notes unstemmed,
RN 39 serves to limit the variety of pitches occurring within it to a single pitch, "A". This registeral "confining" takes place by way of a flute descent (comprised of theme A-related material), a three-voiced ascent in the harp, of mostly whole-tone steps (the whole-tone has already been linked to theme B) and a two-voiced descent, then ascent, in the viola (mostly semitonal - that is to say linked to themes A and B [see figure 9ii].) At this stage of moment 9 it may be observed that the flute has reclaimed its original theme (A.) The harp has also returned to the theme of its original association (B), linked somewhat nebulously thereto by virtue of the whole-tone feature which, in earlier sections, accounted for the span of oscillation surrounding the prolonged note. The harp continues, in RN 40, to prolong "A" by a variety of A harmonics on different strings. The only instrument not to have reclaimed its original identity is the viola. Hence the necessity for its short solo cadenza, which also serves to unite the "A" of RN 40 to the D-major triad of the recapitulation. Again, in RN 41, the viola descends, then ascends. The descent takes place on three melodic levels, and the ensuing ascent, involving a registeral transfer of the lowest voice, moves up chromatically to an F# harmonic. Thus the cadenza forms a registeral and thematic bridge between theme A (which forms its melodic makeup) and theme C, its true identity, which is finally resumed at the onset of the recapitulation.
The recapitulation acts as a condensed summary of the exposition. The three instruments have exactly the same material as that of the exposition, at exactly the same pitch level. The flute melody, which was the only "developmental" theme in the exposition, continues to be so here, although to a lesser extent. Figure Ri sketches the pitches in order of accumulative appearance. Since the recapitulation is considerably shorter that the exposition, one member of the former pitch set, the low C, is dropped. Otherwise the order of appearance is identical to that of the exposition, and the order in which the pitches are dropped towards the end of the piece is almost the opposite of the order of their appearance (the two middle pitches are switched, however.)
The only significant difference between exposition and recapitulation, besides that of length, involves a subtle modification in the manner of expression. In all three instruments there is a tendency towards gestures of a more clipped, hesitant nature. This begins with the flute, the first of the instruments to disappear. At the very beginning of the recapitulation the flute's gestures are short, a feature which is in keeping with the evolutional character of the theme. In the recapitulation, however, the phrases never really grow to any significant length, and the pitch repetitions and frequent "breaths" two bars before 44 implicate a restless personality, whose former consistency is starting to fragment. The harp closely follows the flute in its tendency towards fragmentation. It does so by way of shorter pitch prolongations, separated by longer periods of silence, and narrower, more frequent oscillations in pitch, whereby the central pitch, "A", is struck repeatedly, with little room for oscillation in-between.
The viola is the last to embark on this process of fragmentation, which does not become noticeable until the bar before the disappearance of the flute and harp. At this point, its glissando harmonics appear in short bursts, finally appearing one by one in a slow, irregularly spaced triadic ascent. The effect here is comparable to the visual effect of fading firework sparks, where the whole mass seems not to extinguish, but to fade from sight, to be absorbed by the sky. Similarly the exit of each instrument at this point transpires in the manner of a shimmering sound mass, flickering luminously before dissolving into silence. The precise point of disappearance is hardly perceivable, thus the implication is one of audible obscurity rather than termination of sound. The "never-ending" effect ties in with the cyclic form of the whole work, whereby the original material is returned to, and will never completely die out.
Following this instrumental fade-out, Tanzer's verses are to be read ad libitum. The English translation of the text is as follows:
When is it really over?
What is the true end?
All borders are driven
into the earth
as if with a stick of wood
or with the heel of a shoe.
Until then...,
Here is the border.
All that is artificial.
Tomorrow we'll play
Another game.3
Tanzer's verses present a blend of Eastern and Western perspectives. The eastern philosophy is perhaps the most self-evident, namely the cyclic nature of the world, the recycling of matter, and the apparent indeterminacy of form. The western approach is present in the first stanza: the deliberate human-driven force (the "shoe-heel") with which borders, or "boundaries"4 are expelled. The second stanza refers to a very western concept: the significance of the synthetic, the "man-made". The only boundary is that which is artificial, or, put in another way, that which is humanly conceivable. The limitation implied is immediately rendered negligible. If the only boundary is the imagination, then conceivably everything is possible. Thus the poem attests not only to spiritual freedom, but also to the nature of creativity, that playful spirit harnessed only by its sense for synthetic order.
It is with respect to the restless, unresolved nature of the close that I maintain the strongest reservation concerning Valentina Cholopova's interpretation, fundamental to which is the idea of "binary opposites" which enter into conflict and resolve themselves in the course of the piece. Accordingly the entities "joy" and "sorrow" are represented respectively by "the arpeggiated major triad of the upper register" and "a motif of glissando semitones". Thus she continues, "The two contrasting words that appear in the title, "joy" and "sadness" symbolise in this case those binary opposites necessary to the structure of Gubaidulina's works."5
This misconception concerning the significance of the title has partly to do with a slight mistranslation of the German and Russian original. In the German version, the two entities joys ("Freuden") and sorrows ("Traurigkeiten") are quite deliberately written in their plural form. The generally accepted English translation, however, seems to be "Garden of Joy and Sorrow", and the Italian translation, likewise, appears as "Giardino di Gioia e di Tristezza". This singularisation is without good reason, since the terms exist, in the German language, in both plural and singular forms ("Freude"; "Traurigkeit"), the latter signifying both individual and collective meaning, just as in English. Although the Russian version (Sad Radosti I Pechali), appearing alongside the German in the first edition of the work, is also in plural form, the "singular" mistranslation appears so frequently in literature, scores and cover notes, that the error seems to have gained equal authenticity. The mistranslation is a careless but unfortunate one, since it transforms the meaning significantly from one implying a variety of each entity to one consisting of two large-scale forces, a condition certainly more suggestive of binary opposites.
Another major aspect of the composition that is disregarded by this interpretation is the fact that it is practically saturated with three-fold operations. Not only is the number of instruments employed three, but so too is the number of themes to which they are individually attached. There is no reason to suppose that the theme of the harp is any less significant than those attached by Cholopova to "joy" and "sorrow". It interacts and merges to the same degree as the other themes, such that it cannot possibly be attached to any notion of binary opposites. Even the thematic structure is ternary: theme A, the chromatic flute melody, is composed almost entirely of trichords. These sometimes appear in succession, such that their joints are concealed, but very often melodies are constructed in such a way that the trichord cells are entirely perceivable. The first appearance of the harp's theme, B, features three specific pitches: a central pitch, A, and, by way of outer boundaries to the glissando on either side, B flat and G#. Even as the interval of oscillation widens throughout further development of theme B, the three-part reference is still maintained. The ternary characteristic of theme C hardly requires explanation. The major triad is by definition a three-part entity, and even when the higher partials of the harmonic series appear within theme C, the triad is always audible.
Other three-fold procedures include the formal structure of the work (consisting of exposition, development and recapitulation), and the predominantly three-level melodic structure. The latter is a feature typical to Gubaidulina's melodic style in general, according to which a high, a medium and a low register are utilised, often forming timbral associations with the three distinct portions of a given instrument's register.
The two texts underlying the work, while not corresponding to the overall ternary plan, do not embrace the epitomies of respective Eastern and Western philosophy to an extent that would be necessary to build a case for a state of binary opposition. This is particularly true of the verses of Tanzer, which defy the Western stereotype of conflicting good and evil forces, and culminate instead in a gesture of non-resolution and unpredictability, thereby allowing for the open-ended game of Gubaidulina's musical close.
Hence I submit that the three musical elements of which the piece is comprised do not form literal leitmotifs of "joy" and "sorrow", but rather assume separate musical identities which respond in various ways to fluctuating shadings of joy and sorrow, as the instrumentation and the thematic combination and mutation permit. "Joy" and "sorrow" appear not as conflicting forces, but as philosophical condiments which provide varying shadings of light and colour within the musical garden. As to the inherent characteristics of the thematic sonorities, it is conceivable that there might be something intrinsically "felicitous" to the sound of glittering harmonics, or, conversely, "tragic" to that of chromatic sighing. Having said that, it is the transition from one shade, or "element" or "personality" to another that provides the fundamental driving force of the work, thereby forming associations with the way such emotions are encountered in real life. Hence, thematic mutation, interaction, transformation and overlap are the key factors in this musical scenario. Elements already invested with potential for change artfully transform to become one another, or they combine to form more sophisticated shadings within the musical palette.
Despite the fact that the semantic implication of the title Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten is less patently spiritual than that of In Croce, such phenomena can be inferred from the work - indeed, they are rarely absent from Gubaidulina's music in general. The title, while not specifically citing exclusively philosophical or religious criteria, can be viewed in a way which signifies just that. The allegorical expansion of the garden, in Eastern philosophy, to represent the world at large has already been discussed. The presence within that world of the two most fundamental human emotions, joy and sorrow, automatically attests to feelings of emotional experience and spiritual awareness whose combined interaction must surely indicate the collision of human souls.
Specific musical phenomena that were seen to accompany the spiritual dramaturgy of In Croce can also be found in this composition. The image of the intrepid human spirit, frequently undergoing collapse and subsequent restructure is presented here in a manner very similar to that of In Croce: an excess of activity ultimately results in a near-fatal plunge, which in turn necessitates complete rebirth, in the form of a carefully-controlled, integral restructure. From this point on, material continues to evolve in a manner that avoids overload, until a quasi-ethereal conclusion is reached, whereat the cycle is completed, and infinite continuity is implied. In Garten von Freuden und Traurigkeiten, the presence of a theological trinity may be detected among the multitude of ternary operations, a force which is constantly present in some form or other, and particularly evident in the shimmering luminosity and hovering perpetuity of the work's final section.
1 This symmetrical feature is also present in themes B and C, and indeed in these two themes the axle of symmetry is greatly emphasised through pitch prolongation. The relative importance of the central fulcrum is self-evident in the harp, whose movement either side of the pitch "A" consists of glissandi occurring on an already-struck string. Likewise in theme C, the most prominent pitch, that which constitutes the point of rest among the harmonic glissandi, is F# - a quasi-symmetrical axis about which the D major harmonics fan outwards in both directions. These themes and their symmetrical content, however, remain unchanged throughout the exposition, and hence cannot attached to the dramaturgical theme of organic growth ascribed to theme A.
2 It is interesting to note how the pitch "C" is prolonged and emphasised in the harp through orchestrational means. In the upward and downward flourishes of RN 33, two different enharmonic spellings of the same pitch-class (B# and C), enable the two strings to reverberate longer than the surrounding pitches (whose sound is stopped by a more frequent striking of the string.) Meanwhile, a concurrent timbral variation is effected by an ostinato of repeated Cs, consisting of the open string C5, and a harmonic of the same pitch, produced on the string an octave below.
3 Stimmen. Tagebuch, Novellen, Gedichte, Franciso Tanzer, Verlag E. Hermanser, Köln. [The above translation is my own.]
4 The German word Grenzen means both "borders" and "boundaries".
5 Gubajdulina, Enzo Restagno, p.211, 1991, Turino.
© Fay Neary, 1999