Sofia Gubaidulina - Musical Toys (audio + sheet music)

Musical Toys was composed in 1969 between two contrasting cantatas, Night in Memphis (1968/1988/1992) and Rybaiyat (1969). According to Kurtz, “Whereas Night in Memphis is controlled by strict dodecaphonic rationality, in Rubaiyat Gubaidulina relies completely on artistic spontaneity.” In my view, Gubaidulina fully used her “artistic spontaneity” in Musical Toys, although the twelve-tone technique is introduced in one piece of this cycle. The premiere is not known, but Gubaidulina herself performed the piece in the “meet-the-composer concert” on March 1, 1973. Alexander Bakhchiev commented on her performance, “She was completely natural and so was the music, and her playing revealed her exquisite sense of tone.” Gubaidulina commented in an interview that she used to focus on searching for “new timbres, new textures, and articulations,” especially in the 1970s. Although Musical Toys was composed in 1969, it seems clear that she had already entered that phase. The original timbre is prominent within her clever mix-and-match of various techniques—both old and new compositional and piano techniques. According to biographer Michael Kurtz, Gubaidulina “present[ed] pictorial miniatures that she would have liked to play as a child.” Each of the fourteen titles includes an interesting object, which suggests her intention of a certain type of sound, an atmosphere, an impression, or a visual image. Although Gubaidulina intended Musical Toys for children, it is debatable whether this piece is actually accessible for children, because highly refined physical and musical techniques are required. Some pieces require a large hand span, dexterity, advanced rhythmic sense, delicate control of tones, and sensitive emotional expressions. Scott McBride Smith, a piano pedagogue, put Gubaidulina’s works into the list for advanced students. Critic Ronald Weitzman also observed, “It would be a precocious child who has the technique to bring off many of these miniatures.” In my view, this composition would be great for advanced students as well as intermediate students reaching to the advanced level—only a very talented child like young Gubaidulina would be able to perform this piece successfully. However, it is also a great contemporary piece for beginners to listen to in order to experience the fantastic timbres with lively characteristics. Even for professional pianists, this composition offers interesting ideas about the unique sounds that the piano can create. Please take note that the audio AND the sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry. () Original audio: (Performance by: Diana Baker) Original sheet music: music/