Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

[Mirror Image]

About two weeks ago I had the great pleasure of hearing the U.S. premiere of Schnittke's 8th Symphony - what a wondrous, disturbing creation it is. And conductor Anne Manson and the Juilliard Orchestra did a terrific job.

http://seenandheard-international.com/2014/02/twenty-years-later-schnittke-u-s-premiere/

--Bruce

Wow, I didn't know that Schnittke's 8th hadn't been premiered yet in the US. I bet that was an incredible aural experience. It is, indeed. a disturbing work filled with much pain and grief.

[Brian]

What an exciting conductor Anne Manson is, by the way. Adventurous choices in repertoire, great track record with living composers, and her Glass album from last year is one of my 2-3 favorite Glass CDs. She's made the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra into an exciting ensemble by association, too.

[Mirror Image]

BTW, Bruce, do you think there's a chance this performance was recorded?

[bhodges]

What an exciting conductor Anne Manson is, by the way. Adventurous choices in repertoire, great track record with living composers, and her Glass album from last year is one of my 2-3 favorite Glass CDs. She's made the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra into an exciting ensemble by association, too.

Yes, totally agree. She did Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen last year at Juilliard - one of the best things I saw all year. She needs wider exposure.

BTW, Bruce, do you think there's a chance this performance was recorded?

I suspect an in-house recording might have been made - maybe I'll ask around. PS, the performance wasn't perfect: the orchestra was struggling in parts, especially the extremely difficult French horn lines at the very beginning, and elsewhere you could tell that maybe 1 or 2 more rehearsals might have been welcome. But no matter, the piece's emotional impact came across very strongly. It's quite something. When the glow of the performance has worn off, I need to re-listen to the recording I have (Rozhdestvensky).

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

I suspect an in-house recording might have been made - maybe I'll ask around. PS, the performance wasn't perfect: the orchestra was struggling in parts, especially the extremely difficult French horn lines at the very beginning, and elsewhere you could tell that maybe 1 or 2 more rehearsals might have been welcome. But no matter, the piece's emotional impact came across very strongly. It's quite something. When the glow of the performance has worn off, I need to re-listen to the recording I have (Rozhdestvensky).

--Bruce

Yeah, I can imagine this symphony being incredible difficult to perform well. But I have a recording of the Juilliard Orchestra performing some Sessions and William Schuman and it's quite fine. A very good sounding ensemble. BTW, that Rozhdestvensky recording is something else. The 8th is paired with an equally great performance of Concerto Grosso No. 6.

[CRCulver]

Wow, I didn't know that Schnittke's 8th hadn't been premiered yet in the US.

It would have been a tough sell in the immediate aftermath of the US premiere of the 6th, which saw a large part of the crowd walking out.

[Mirror Image]

It would have been a tough sell in the immediate aftermath of the US premiere of the 6th, which saw a large part of the crowd walking out.

And that just shows people have no clue as to who Schnittke actually is and what kind of music he composed. The 6th isn't an immediate appealing work IMHO, but I find it still to be an interesting listen for the most part.

[snyprrr]

I am wondering whether I can handle some more Schnittke in my life. I've been through the ringer with Schnittke- bought and sold and bought and sold- so, I'm not looking for encouragement here: dissuade me, please! Here's my layout. I have:

1) both Cello Concertos (Gutman and Slava)

2) String Quartets (to my satisfaction- though I'd like to find a good No.1)

3) Cello Sonata (No.1) (never a piece I liked, but now I have more recordings than I care for) plus other Cello Music

4) Symphonies 6-7 (in the much maligned BIS rendition- I can hear better ensemble)

5) Chailly/Decca- used to have this- should I get it again???

6) Concerto Grosso No.1 (Kremer/DG)- not really a favourite of mine (how many of these can I actually enjoy?)



I was looking at Symphonies 1-4.

No.1 has the reputation- I've never listened to it- everyone says BIS here. This is the one Symphony I'd really be willing to try. Would I like this circus?

No.2 does not sound like something I want to hear.

No.3 IS THE QUANDRY- some say it's the Masterpiece, some say it's just another 50 minutes of dark Schnittke that I might only listen to a couple of times and then grow weary of. I mean, the way the went on about those dreary 'Adagios' I just remembered what I don't need in Schnittke, which is a 16 minute slow movement. However, I'd like your opinion- your CURRENT opinion- maybe you ARE weary of this- or not- help!!

No.4- I certainly don't want to hear the BIS 1 Track, and there is no Chandos?- or?- anyhow, does snyprrr really want to hear a singing Schnittke Symphony?

No.5- again, do I really need to hear that Chailly again- I'm just over Schnittke's baroque stuff from the '80s. (I just feel- guilty?- that I'm not craving to BUY Schnittke- what is wrong with me???)

Nos. 6-7: I really don't want to have to buy two more cds just to hear these pieces in better performances- I mean, do I HAVE to? Probably, huh?...

No.8: I'm just not all that interested in REFINED Schnittke. Who gets into Schnittke because of the refined bits???



So, now that I got that out of the way, my strategy was to get the Violin Concertos (Kremer?) and maybe something else,... Viola Concerto?,... 2Piano?,...  Penderecki?,...

HELP!

[DavidW]

Yes on the viola concerto, it is awesome!

[TheGSMoeller]

Get one of the Choir Concerto recordings that has Minnesang too. Great choral works.

[Mirror Image]

My favorite Schnittke:

Viola Concerto
Symphonies Nos. 3-5, 8
Faust Cantata
Requiem
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Hymns for chamber ensemble
Concerto for Piano and Strings
String Quartets 2 & 3
Piano Quintet
Choir Concerto (absolutely mesmerizing work)
All of the Concerti Grossi
Any of the film music as Schnittke was a master of this genre

[bwv 1080]

The concerto for piano and strings manages an even darker take on Beethoven's op27 no 2 than Shostakovich's Viola Sonata

and the Requiem is a great earlier choral work - darker and not as refined as the Choir Concerto

[snyprrr]

My favorite Schnittke:

Viola Concerto
Symphonies Nos. 3-5, 8
Faust Cantata
Requiem
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Hymns for chamber ensemble
Concerto for Piano and Strings
String Quartets 2 & 3
Piano Quintet
Choir Concerto (absolutely mesmerizing work)
All of the Concerti Grossi
Any of the film music as Schnittke was a master of this genre

Well, I did a massive Schnittke-a-thon last night to get some bearings:

Symphony No.3: did NOT like it- many out-of-control outburst- lots of amorphous slow buildup- uh- too many demands

Symphony No.4: wow, so THIS is the one I really liked! But- it's One Track City- nevermind- this is THE ONE for me! mystery...


Concerto No.1 for Violin:

Concerto No.2 for Violin and Chamber Orch.: NOT to be confused with...
Sonata for Violin and Chamber Orch.: NOT to be confused with
'Quasi un sonata' for Violin and Chamber Orch.:..............................................the last one I'm familiar with; all three confuse my chronology!

Concerto No.3 for Violin: this is the NOISY one

Concerto No.4 for Violin: this is the VC that starts out with bells (aka "The '80s Concerto")


Concerto Grosso No.1: Kremer/DG

Concerto Grosso No.2.....................................who do we like here? Chandos looks the best deal...

Concerto Grosso No.3: Chailly/Decca

Concerto Grosso No.4/Symphony No.5: Chailly/Decca................. the two "Chailly" ones are the most blataently 'baroque' hallucination...

Concerto Grosso No.5: Kremer/DG

Concerto Grosso No.6: the bitter, Late one



Can't make heads or tails of the CG yet. Explain please!

[bwv 1080]

There is a very fine rendition of the 3rd SQ from the Pacifica

[snyprrr]

When it comes to the early '80s, I just can't keep Schnittke and Penderecki separated in my head. They both have such a distinctly oppressive  atmosphere of seething darkness (Halffter, too, to a lesser degree) and they just seem to love to (make us) wallow in it. I feel like I'm wading bog!

[snyprrr]

Violin Concertos 1-4 (Kremer/Teldec)

Looks like I picked this one up. It just seemed like the best place to go. That just leaves a whole lot of the Concerto Grosso mess to mull over- I mean, there's a lot of dreary angst in a lot of them- oh, why do I feel so obligated to explore Schnittke?? I had much BIS in the '90s that I let go, and now I'm making a new commitment? aye

I had the two Krysa disc of VCs back then... we'll see...

Your favourite Concerto Grosso???

[snyprrr]

Well, sooomeone got that BIS Symphony No.1 for $5- good for you! I would certainly have gotten it, and I knew it wouldn't last the night, ah well. What are all your deep thoughts about the Segerstam 1?


So, for all my frothing, I ended up getting Kremer's 'Violin Concertos 1-4' (Teldec) and the Postnikova Piano Concerto on Erato (the only recording I think I can handle of this most loathsome piece- at least we'll see how this performance turns that opinion around). I figured I'd hold off on the Symphonies (was thinking of 1 or 4) and the Concerto Grosso 1-6 until such time. Hopefully these concerti will slake the thirst.

[snyprrr]

Violin Concerto No.1 (1957/rev. 1963 (not the same as First Violin Sonata))

I was slightly charmed by Schnittke's "Op.1", which he then later revised, the results of which I heard from Kremer's set. It almost reminds me of pre-historic Petttersson or Sessions, skeletal and gothic, Poe-inspired (not, but it has a wan, pale, overcast tinge, perhaps?). I think it offers up interesting food-for-thought in hearing fleeting snippets of Shostakovich and mid-century writing in general. To me it sounds like either 1927 or 1937, mm?

Violin Concerto No.2 (1966) "Canticum canticorum"

This is a Passion Play in the form of a VC. It, too, should not be confused with either the 'Sonata for Violin and Chamber Orchestra', or the Second Violin Sonata 'Quasi una Fantasia'. The former is a reworking of VS1, and the VS2 had its ochestration completed in the late '80s. There!

I found this piece quite enjoyable, with lots of "characters", including a double bass as Judas ("anti-solist"). It's is a single movement yet goes through a variety of scenarios. It may seem a bit modest, but I think it's a little more out there than it at first lets on (and I just say that to counter the, "VC 3-4 are more interesting than 1-2" argument).

[snyprrr]

Violin Concerto No.3

This is the one with mostly winds. This might be the gnarliest one, but the intesity is totally satisfying. Not much to say about this one really.

Violin Concerto No.4

This is the Biggy! It starts with bells and goes everywhere from there. On the Kremer/Teldec version there is some heavy breathing edited in where the "cadenza visuale"  takes place, an effect I'm not quite sure about, but I can live with it- what do you think about this? Other than that, I find it an cracker of a concerto, just long enough, and packed very densely with incident.

Sonata for Violin and Chamber Orchestra

'Quasi una sonata'

[snyprrr]

1) Chandos never recorded Symph0nies 3 or 5, or the Concerto Grosso No.3??

2) Melodiya only recorded the first four Symphonies

3) Daniel Hope substitutes a piano for the harpsichord half way through his 'Sonata for Vln. & Ch. Orch.'

4) Only Kremer/DG recorded Concerto Grosso No.5

5)