The Symphony No. 5 by the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n composer

Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer. Among the most performed and recorded composers of late 20th-century classical music, he is described by musicologist Ivan Moody (composer), Ivan Moody as a ...

, which is also his Concerto Grosso No. 4, was composed in 1988. Written for a very large orchestra, as the dual nature of the work's titles suggest, the composition represents a synthesis of ideas from Schnittke's earlier works. The first movement of the symphony is the Concerto Grosso, with solos for violin, oboe and harpsichord. However unlike the traditional form of the

concerto grosso The concerto grosso (; Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the '' concertino'') and full orchestra (the '' ripieno'', '' ...

, the sheer weight of the orchestral forces remains ever present, reminding the listener of the overarching (romantic) symphonic structure. The second movement is an elaboration of a piece of juvenilia by

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...

: an unfinished

piano quartet A piano quartet is a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments. Those other instruments are usually a string trio consisting of a violin, viola and cello. Piano quartets for ...

, which the teenage Mahler started in 1876. However unlike a traditional 'theme and variations' approach, Schnittke begins with his own worked-out realisation of Mahler's idea, and unwinds it so that the movement concludes with the original material. The third movement is violent and climactic, which having reached a thunderous apex then moves purposefully into an ''allegro'' which, although it has a powerful sense of forward movement, breaks off suddenly and inconclusively. The fourth movement is a Mahlerian funeral march which does not dispel the unsettling atmosphere of what has gone before.McBurney, Gerald (1990) Liner notes to Decca 430 698-2 Schnittke wrote the piece to a commission by the

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, established in 1888 at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). It is considered one of the world's leading orchestras. It was known as the Concertgebouw Orchestra u ...

for its centenary in 1988, when it was premiered under

Riccardo Chailly Riccardo Chailly (, ; born 20 February 1953) is an Italian conductor. He is currently music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and of La Scala. Prior to this, he held chief conducting positions at the Gewandhausorchester (2005–20 ...

, the same forces recording it soon after. The work itself lasts for around 37 minutes.

Movements

#Allegro #Allegretto #Lento - Allegro #Lento

References

{{Authority control 1988 compositions Symphonies by Alfred Schnittke Schnittk Concertos by Alfred Schnittke