Letter to the Poetess Rimma Dalos

Sofia Gubaidulina (R)

‘According to Sofia Gubaidulina, this composition was an attempt in the mid-1980s to correspond musically and poetically with the Hungarian-Russian poet Rimma Dalos, who was living in Moscow at the time. This composition was preceded by a letter from Rimma Dalos to Sofia Gubaidulina, which consisted of just a few poetic words. She had taken these as the starting point for her musical ‘reply letter’ in the hope that a longer correspondence would result. Unfortunately, fate soon led the two artists apart, so that the brief contact was not continued and remained without consequence.’ (Hans-Ulrich Duffek)