Unbeknownst Spirituality: The Sacred Music of Late Soviet Composers

Abstract

Church music has never been associated with the works of Soviet composers throughout the history of the USSR. As is commonly known, religion was relegated there, and the development of church ritual and music in the localities was not observed. Yet, in the last decade of Soviet history, in the 1980s, the authorities, still not encouraging, no longer prohibited the composition of religious (liturgical, paraliturgical, or any other spiritual) music. Since there were no rules in the USSR as to writing church music, the few composers who dared to work with sacred texts had to choose between a traditional or avant-garde approach to the subject, depending on personal aesthetic preferences. The group associated with the first of the above approaches lists Georgy Sviridov, Alfred Schnittke, and Arvo Pärt. The second approach is primarily represented by Sofia Gubaidulina. The article analyses several examples of the religious music of the above composers against relevant historical and sociocultural backgrounds, while at the same time shedding light on the uniqueness of the personality and worldview of each composer. The main discussion is preceded by a discussion of the special place of church music in the practice of Russian composers over the past three centuries, the challenges of church music in the 20th century (in the world) and other historical facts. Being rather a brief summary, emphasizing the socio-cultural aspect and the general typological approach to the subject, this material, without claiming to be complete, can serve as an introduction to the topic.