Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

[snyprrr]

[Random aside regarding the 8th: about a decade ago or so I was listening to this work with a musician friend, and a few minutes into the slow movement she had to stop listening; for her it had evoked all too painfully the experience of being severely clinically depressed and unable to respond emotionally to things she had previously regarded as beautiful.]

Now THAT's creepy and depressing! Sounds like cocaine withdrawal (not saying that that's what it was, buuuut I

nevermind

Still, that's not a place you want to be in,...brrrrr

[eyeresist]

I only listened to the first three symphonies (I think). Not much at all and certainly not enough to make a fair, accurate judgement on any of them.

My guess is you didn't listen to the 2nd. Although it is largely a choral work (based on the Mass), I think it is definitely your sort of thing - medieval style in a modern context, and very atmospheric, certainly in the BIS recording.

I also value the 3rd symphony highly. I think it is very much in the late romantic symphonic tradition, crescendo first movement and polystylism notwithstanding. The finale gets very Brucknerian - the BIS performance is fine, but I am hoping Polyansky will take those sections more broadly.

The 1st symphony I think of as a Mahlerian blockbuster akin to M2, but it doesn't really come into focus until the last two movements. The 1st on BIS is decent, but I found the sound hid a lot of the important details I had heard on Rozhdy's early recording. I am saving up for his Chandos version!

[Mirror Image]

Sorry I've been strapped for time and can't respond to all the feedback, but thank you all for your input regarding the recordings I purchased. It was much appreciated.

[eyeresist]

As a corrective to my previous post, I'm listening to the 2nd now and finding it no more than the sum of its parts. It really depends if you like this sort of thing or not. Luckily for me, I do.

As with the 1st, I find the second half better than the first (starting from the nifty "Et resurrexit").

[CRCulver]

The finale gets very Brucknerian - the BIS performance is fine, but I am hoping Polyansky will take those sections more broadly.

Chandos has abandoned its Schnittke cycle. If there is ever a Polyansky recording, it would have to come from another label, and that's unlikely (Schnittke is regarded by labels as no longer such a marketable composer.)

[DavidW]

The 1st symphony I think of as a Mahlerian blockbuster akin to M2, but it doesn't really come into focus until the last two movements. The 1st on BIS is decent, but I found the sound hid a lot of the important details I had heard on Rozhdy's early recording. I am saving up for his Chandos version!

Are you sure that you're not thinking of the 0th symphony?  The 0th sound Mahlerian, the 1st nothing like it.

[eyeresist]

Are you sure that you're not thinking of the 0th symphony?  The 0th sound Mahlerian, the 1st nothing like it.

I know whereof I speak (or type). But perhaps I'm talking about the apocalyptic sensibility more than the orchestration as such. It sounds to me like the climax of the Resurrection, taken to the nth degree.

Anyway, isn't the 0th Shostakovichian, not Mahlerian? The quirkyness and astringency sound more like Dmitri to me.

[DavidW]

I know whereof I speak (or type). But perhaps I'm talking about the apocalyptic sensibility more than the orchestration as such. It sounds to me like the climax of the Resurrection, taken to the nth degree.

Anyway, isn't the 0th Shostakovichian, not Mahlerian? The quirkyness and astringency sound more like Dmitri to me.

Quirky describes the 1st, the 0th sounds romantic.

[eyeresist]

Quirky describes the 1st, the 0th sounds romantic.

I think it's the other way around. We'll have to agree to disagree.

[karlhenning]

I waited a while to find a reasonably priced copy of this one:

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Both pieces strike me as strong!

[snyprrr]

I know I lambast Schnittke a lot, but I pulled out the 2 Cello Concertos (Gutman 1/Slava 2) and quite enjoyed both on the rainy day yesterday. Yes, Schnittke should ONLY be played on rainy days!

I especially liked the last movement of No.1,... is it a Chorale?, a Passacaglia?,... either way, it is very nice for Schnittke.


Let me ask you, what are your fav Schittke CONCERTOS? How do you feel about the Viola Concerto as compared to the other late string concertos? I find these two Cello Concertos to be the Sons&Heirs of all cello concertos that came before them (how much more gloomy could music be?).



I also enjoyed the Symphony No.6 (BIS), very nice and gloomy. Schnittke vs. Pettersson??

[Karl Henning]

I really dig the Concerto for Three. Must load that onto the player soon . . . .

[snyprrr]

All of a sudden I'm curious about Symphonies 1 & 3. Anyone want to help me out here? Yea or nay, what's good/what's bad...

[Karl Henning]

I like no. 1, but it's not everybody's money.  I think it works, kitchen sink effort and all.

[Mirror Image]

All of a sudden I'm curious about Symphonies 1 & 3. Anyone want to help me out here? Yea or nay, what's good/what's bad...

Symphony No. 1 is a disaster through and through. I can't even believe I sat through most of it. Here's what it sounds like me:

http://www.youtube.com/v/23Te7QAsH6w

[lescamil]

I think the Symphony No. 1 is Ives on crack, and it takes a conductor as crazy as the piece to get it right. Segerstam is just the guy for it, with that logic. He makes it all sound as crazy and as fanciful as it really is. That, and the jazz improvisation in the second movement in that recording cannot be bettered! Carl-Axel Dominique seems to be just as crazy as Segerstam is. It's a symphony that's a lot of fun that might take some getting used to or may not be for everyone, but do give it a try.

[Mirror Image]

I think the Symphony No. 1 is Ives on crack, and it takes a conductor as crazy as the piece to get it right. Segerstam is just the guy for it, with that logic. He makes it all sound as crazy and as fanciful as it really is. That, and the jazz improvisation in the second movement in that recording cannot be bettered! Carl-Axel Dominique seems to be just as crazy as Segerstam is. It's a symphony that's a lot of fun that might take some getting used to or may not be for everyone, but do give it a try.

Yes! I did the jazz improvisation part in the Segerstam recording. That was damn good. Too bad I can't say much for the rest of the symphony.

[Joaquimhock]

Segerstam's recording of Schnittke's 1st is awfull. A real mess. This work is crazy, I agree, it's a very bizarre pudding of everything, but it's also a very deep and poetic work. To understand this you need to listen to  Rojdestvenski's recording for Chandos. By the way, according to Schnittke's friend and biographer Alexander Ivashkin, many of the recordings made by BIS during the 90s were considered as complete crap by Schnittke himself.

[snyprrr]

Segerstam's recording of Schnittke's 1st is awfull. A real mess. This work is crazy, I agree, it's a very bizarre pudding of everything, but it's also a very deep and poetic work. To understand this you need to listen to  Rojdestvenski's recording for Chandos. By the way, according to Schnittke's friend and biographer Alexander Ivashkin, many of the recordings made by BIS during the 90s were considered as complete crap by Schnittke himself.

Hmmm... interesting.

[Karl Henning]

Yes;  I've heeded well the voice of a number of neighbors whose musical opinion I regard well, where they have cautioned against the BIS set.

Note this well, O snypsss:

Segerstam's recording of Schnittke's 1st is awfull. A real mess. This work is crazy, I agree, it's a very bizarre pudding of everything, but it's also a very deep and poetic work. To understand this you need to listen to Rojdestvenski's recording for Chandos.

Emphasis mine. The Rozhdestvensky is the recording I've heard, and I think very highly of the piece.

And thanks to Joaquim for the germane reminder that, if I have heard only one performance of a work, and if that one performance be none the best, I really cannot judge the merits of the piece fairly:  I can only report that I did not think well of that performance/event.