The Concerto Grosso No. 1 was the first of six

concerti grossi The concerto grosso (; Italian language, 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, concertino'') and full or ...

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

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 ...

. It was written in 1976–1977 at the request of

Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer (; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holocaust. His mother had ...

and

Tatiana Grindenko Tatiana Grindenko (; born 1946) is a Russian violinist and Meritorious Artist who graduated from the Moscow Conservatory and then became an assistant to Yuri Yankelevich. She is a founder of Grindenko Ensemble and currently works as a soloist ...

who were also the

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

soloists at its premiere on 21 March 1977 in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

together with Yuri Smirnov on keyboard instruments and the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra under

Eri Klas Eri Klas (7 June 1939 – 26 February 2016) was an Estonian conductor. He conducted or served as artistic director for the Estonian National Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Danish Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orc ...

. It is one of the best-known of Schnittke's polystylistic compositions and marked his break-through in the

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

History

In May 1976, Gidon Kremer and Tatiana Grindenko asked Schnittke to compose a work for them and the

Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra The Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (LCO) () is a chamber orchestra based in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was established by Saulius Sondeckis in 1960, giving its first performance on April 30, 1960. Along with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the ...

under the conductor Saulius Sondeckis to be performed several times in 1977 and recorded. It was Kremer who came up with the idea of a ''concerto grosso''. The score was ready by the end of 1976, and the piece was premiered on 21 March 1977 under the baton of

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n conductor Eri Klas, a mutual friend of both Kremer and Schnittke, together with the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra. After the premiere, Schnittke made several cuts in the score, and subsequent performances of the final version followed in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

and

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. Schnittke was at the time not allowed to travel outside the

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

. Kremer was therefore to invite Schnittke to serve as a harpsichordist in the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra on its tour to

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

the same year. Schnittke was therefore able to attend the premiere of his piece in the West. During the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

in August 1977, Kremer and Grindenko recorded the piece for

Eurodisc Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...

together with the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

under

Gennady Rozhdestvensky Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky, CBE (; 4 May 1931 – 16 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, pianist, composer, and pedagogue. Biography Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagog ...

. When the LP recording was released in 1978 the Concerto Grosso was coupled with

Sibelius Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

. In 1988, at the request of the Russian

oboist An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette. The following is a list of notable past and pres ...

Viacheslav Lupachev, Schnittke made a new version of the Concerto Grosso, with

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

and oboe (alternatively two flutes) replacing the two violins. The first recording of this version was made in 2008 by flutist

Sharon Bezaly Sharon Bezaly (; born 1972) is an Israeli flautist. Bezaly was born in Israel, but lives presently in Sweden. She has been an international performer since 1997, when she began her solo flute career. She made her solo debut at 13 with Zubin Meh ...

and oboist Christopher Cowie together with the

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is an orchestra based in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. History Founded by the Cape Town City Council as the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, the CPO held its inaugural concert on 28 February ...

under the baton of

Owain Arwel Hughes Owain Arwel Hughes CBE (born 21 March 1942) is a Welsh orchestral conductor. Hughes was born in Ton Pentre, Rhondda, the son of the composer Arwel Hughes. He studied at Howardian High School, Cardiff, University College, Cardiff and the Royal ...

for BIS.

Structure

The work is scored for two solo violins, a string

chamber orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

consisting of 6 first violins, 6 second violins, 4

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

s, 4

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

s and 2

double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

, a

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

and a

prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for pr ...

. The two keyboard instruments are meant to be played by one player. The piano is prepared by inserted coins between the strings in its upper register as well as being electrically amplified creating a ‘church bell’ sound. The piece consists of six

movements Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger c ...

: A typical performance lasts for approximately 28 minutes. The work is dedicated to Gidon Kremer, Tatiana Grindenko and

Saulius Sondeckis Saulius Sondeckis (11 October 1928 – 3 February 2016) was a Lithuanian violinist, conductor, orchestra leader and professor. He founded the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra in 1960 and was its artistic director and principal conductor until 2004. B ...

. It is published by

Sikorski Sikorski (feminine: Sikorska, plural: Sikorscy) is a Polish-language surname. It belongs to several noble Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth families, see . Variants (via other languages) include Sikorsky, Sikorskyi, Sikorskiy, and Shikorsky. The ...

Music

Schnittke builds his Concerto Grosso No. 1 on the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

idea of intensive dialogue between the orchestra and soloists. The instrumentation featuring two solo violins against a relatively small string section and harpsichord compares well to the Baroque concerto grossos of

Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , ; ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of Sonata and Concerto, in establishing the preeminen ...

and others. But according to some scholars it was never Schnittke's intention to write a ‘real’ concerto grosso or a pastiche, rather to make his commentary on the idea of a Baroque concerto grosso. The piece is representative of

polystylism Polystylism is the use of multiple styles or techniques in literature, art, film, or, especially, music. Some prominent contemporary polystylist composers include Peter Maxwell Davies, Alfred Schnittke, and John Zorn. Polystylist composers fro ...

and the use of

quotations A quotation or quote is the repetition of a sentence, phrase, or passage from speech or text that someone has said or written. In oral speech, it is the representation of an utterance (i.e. of something that a speaker actually said) that is intro ...

which Schnittke employed during this period. Schnittke addressed the issue of combining different styles in the program notes to the Viennese audience in 1977:

I dream of the Utopia of a united style, where fragments of ‘U’ (Unterhaltung) ntertainingand ‘E’ (Ernst) eriousare not used for comic effect but seriously represent multi-faceted musical reality. That’s why I’ve decided to put together some fragments from my cartoon film music: a joyful childeren’s chorus, a nostalgic
atonal Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on ...
serenade, a piece of hundred-percent-guaranteed Correlli (Made in the USSR), and finally, my grandmother’s favourite
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...
played by my great-grandmother on a harpsichord. I am sure all these themes go together very well, and I use them absolutely seriously.

Schnittke's desire is first and foremost to combine apparently irreconcilable idioms, in his case 'popular' (or 'banal') styles like tangos with serious styles like atonal music and quasi-

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...

. Because he does not think that a synthesis of popular and classical styles is possible, he calls it a ‘pure utopia’, yet that never prevented him from attempting. There are numerous references to Schnittke's film music in the piece (Schnittke wrote music to more than 60 films). For instance, the monogram ' B–A–C–H' comes from his music for an animated film called ''The Glass Harmonica'' (1968). The tango melody in the rondo was first heard in the film '' The Agony'' (1974). The conclusion of the

cadenza In music, a cadenza, (from , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display ...

is taken from the animated film ''The Butterfly''. The quasi-baroque tune at the opening of the rondo was originally a song (sung by the Russian actor-singer legend

Vladimir Vysotsky Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky (25 January 193825 July 1980) was a Soviet singer-songwriter, poet, and actor who had an immense and enduring effect on Soviet culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which ...

) at the beginning of Schnittke's score for the film ''How Tsar Peter got the Black Man Married''.

I. Preludio

The first movement Preludio, marked Andante, starts with a nursery rhyme-type melody on prepared piano: : \relative c'' The main

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...

is then introduced by the two solo violins, calling to each other with intervals of minor seconds, and usually staying close to each other by the same intervallic distance: : \new StaffGroup << \new Staff \relative c'' \new Staff \relative c'' >> After a soloistic passage in the two violins followed by the violas slither down their strings to a bottom pedal, note the second idea begins. A violin solo explores a melody in the bottom of its register followed by the second solo violin: : \relative c' The nursery rhyme melody is then reintroduced in the harpsichord. After a climax in

tutti ''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sin ...

strings, the movement ends with the two solo violins in a variant of the main theme.

II. Toccata

The second movement

Toccata Toccata (from Italian ''toccare'', literally, "to touch", with "toccata" being the action of touching) is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virt ...

, marked Allegro, is a diabolical parody of

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

overstuffed with strict and ''

stretto The Italian term ''stretto'' (plural: ''stretti'') has two distinct meanings in music: # In a fugue, ''stretto'' () is the imitation of the subject in close succession, so that the answer enters before the subject is completed.Apel, Willi, ed. ( ...

'' canons. The soloists starts the movement but are gradually joined by the rest of the strings until the movement reaches a state of frenzy. : \relative c'' A second Vivaldian theme is then introduced by solo violins and harpsichord. Then follows an intensive dialogue between soloists and orchestra. The tension builds up until the orchestra ends up on a

tone cluster A tone cluster is a musical chord comprising at least three adjacent tones in a scale. Prototypical tone clusters are based on the chromatic scale and are separated by semitones. For instance, three adjacent piano keys (such as C, C, and D) s ...

. The tone cluster is cut off and a

waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

melody is being introduced by solo violins and harpsichord: : \relative c'' The waltz melody is based on all 12 notes in the scale starting with the B–A–C–H motif.

III. Recitativo

After a short rest for breath, the orchestra begins the third movement, a funeral

Recitativo Recitative (, also known by its Italian name recitativo () is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines ...

marked Lento. The intervals of

minor Minor may refer to: Common meanings * Minor (law), a person not under the age of certain legal activities. * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Mathematics * Minor (graph theory), a relation of one graph to an ...

and

major second In Western music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two semitones (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff positions (see Interval number for more de ...

s dominate the discourse, recalling the prelude. Everything is tightly controlled until the soloists begin to produce larger intervals and wild

glissandi In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a wikt:glide, glide from one pitch (music), pitch to another (). It is an Italianized Musical terminology, musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In ...

runs; an uncontrollable climax is reached and with feverish pitch the orchestra slowly creeps to their highest register until reaching a piercing shriek.

IV. Cadenza

The two violin soloists follow up with a passionate

Cadenza In music, a cadenza, (from , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display ...

movement that work up to a point of frenzy. The sudden appearance of a Purcellian motif leads directly into the next movement.

V. Rondo

The main theme of the fifth movement

Rondo The rondo or rondeau is a musical form that contains a principal theme (music), theme (sometimes called the "refrain") which alternates with one or more contrasting themes (generally called "episodes", but also referred to as "digressions" or "c ...

, marked Agitato, has a Vivaldian character while referring unmistakably to

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

's Hungarian Dance No. 5 and is exchanged between the two violin soloists in quasi-canonic fashion with agitated accompaniment from the orchestra: : \new StaffGroup << \new Staff \relative c'' \new Staff \relative c'' >> In the second episode, the harpsichord establishes a new theme in the form of a tango subsequently taken over by the orchestra: : \new GrandStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' \new Staff \relative c >> After a struggle between the soloists and orchestra, the movement culminates in a passage of pathos, after which the tempo changes to Andante and the nursery rhyme melody in the piano is once more heard.

VI. Postludio

Without any pause, the Postludio is reached, completing a full cycle as the soloists play their minor seconds theme from the first movement.

Discography

(violin),

(violin) /

(conductor; harpsichord and piano) (recorded 8/1977) :

Melodiya Melodiya () is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company of the Soviet Union. History Melodiya was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya" in accordance wi ...

25099 MK (LP, 1978) (+

) : Eurodisc: 913224 (LP/Quad, 1978) (+ Sibelius: Violin Concerto) : Melodiya 33 С 10—13135-6 (LP, 1979) (+ Sibelius: Violin Concerto) : RCA VICTOR Gold Seal 09026-60957-2 (CD, 1992) (+ Sibelius: Violin Concerto) : Sonocord 35145 2 (SACD/Club/RM/Gol, 2004) (+ Sibelius: Violin Concerto) : Denon COCO-73298 (CD, 2012) (+ Sibelius: Violin Concerto)

Liana Isakadze Liana Alexandres asuli Isakadze (2 August 19465 July 2024) was a Georgian violinist and conductor. A child prodigy, she was supported and trained by David Oistrakh. She won the 1970 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, which brought h ...

(violin),

Oleh Krysa Oleg/Oleh Krysa ( ; born June 1, 1942) is an American violinist of Ukrainian Origin, Laureate of International Competitions, Honored Artist of Ukrainian SSR(1970), Laureate of Lenin Komsomol Prize(1970), Merited Artist of Ukraine. Early life ...

(violin), Natalia Mandenova (harpsichord), Alfred Schnittke (piano)/ Georgian Chamber Orchestra / Saulius Sondeckis (conductor) (recorded 1983) : Melodiya C10 21225 004 (LP/RP, 1987) (+

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

: String Symphony No. 9) : Melodiya B00QW43FJQ (Download, 2014) (+ Mendelssohn: String Symphony No. 9) Christian Bergqvist (violin), Patrik Swedrup (violin),

Roland Pöntinen Roland Peter Pöntinen (born 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish pianist and composer. Pöntinen was born to an Ingrian Finnish father and Swedish mother. He studied at the Adolf Fredrik's Music School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music ...

(harpsichord/piano) / New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra / Lev Markiz (conductor) (recorded 20–22 August 1987) :

BIS Records BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden. BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recording ...

BIS-377 (CD, 1987) (+ Schnittke: Concerto for Oboe and Harp, Concerto for Piano and Strings) Tatiana Grindenko (violin), Gidon Kremer (violin) / Moscow Philharmonic Soloists Ensemble /

Yuri Bashmet Yuri Abramovich Bashmet (born 24 January 1953) is a Russian conductor, violinist, and violist. Biography Yuri Bashmet was born on 24 January 1953 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of Abram Borisovich Bashmet and Maya Zinovyeva Bashmet (née Kri ...

(conductor) (live recording 5/1988) : Melodiya А10 00625 004 (LP, 1990) (+

Martynov Martynov (), or Martynova (feminine; Мартынова) is a common Russian last name. It is derived from the male given name Martyn and literally means 'Martyn's'. It may refer to: * Aleksandr Nikolayevich Martynov (1892–1956), a Russian inter ...

: ''Come In!'') : Melodiya SUCD 10-00067 (CD, 1990) (+ Schnittke: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra) : GRAMZAPIS B0049H5VR2 (CD, 1990) (+ Schnittke: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra) : Col Legno WWE 1CD 20510 (CD, 2000) (+ Schnittke: "Prelude in Memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich", Trio Sonata, Two Short Pieces for Organ) : Alto ALC1341 (CD, 2017) (+ Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 2) Tatiana Grindenko (violin), Gidon Kremer (violin), Yuri Smirnov (harpsichord/piano) /

Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, is an orchestra based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of chamber groups and ...

Heinrich Schiff Heinrich Schiff (; 18 November 1951 – 23 December 2016) was an Austrian cellist and conductor. Early life Heinrich Schiff was born on 18 November 1951 in Gmunden, Austria. His parents, Helga (née Riemann) and Helmut Schiff, were composers. H ...

(conductor) (live recording 9/1988) :

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

429 413-2 (CD, 1990) (+ Schnittke: "Quasi una sonata", "Moz-Art à la Haydn") : Deutsche Grammophon 0289 471 6262 9 GH (CD, 1992) (+ Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 5, "Quasi una sonata") : Deutsche Grammophon 445 520-2 (CD, 1994) (+ Schnittke: "Quasi una sonata", "Moz-Art à la Haydn", "A Paganini") : Deutsche Grammophon 439 452-2 (CD, 1994) (+ Ligeti: Kammerkonzert, Lutosławski: "Chain 3", "Novelette") Michael Dauth (violin), Pavel Bogacz (violin) /

Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa The is a professional chamber orchestra, founded in 1988, based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, and is a full member of the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras. The orchestra's home is Ishikawa Ongakudō (Ishikawa Music Hall). ...

Hiroyuki Iwaki (6 September 193213 June 2006) was a Japanese conductor and percussionist. Biography Iwaki was born in Tokyo in 1932. Shortly after he entered an elementary school, he moved to Kyoto due to his father's transferral. He came to play the xylop ...

(conductor) (recorded 4/1992) : Deutsche Grammophon POCG-1576 (CD, 1994) (+

Shchedrin Shchedrin (Щедрин) is a Russian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Grigori Shchedrin (1912–1995), Soviet submariner * Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826–1889), Russian writer * Rodion Shchedrin (born 1932), Russian compos ...

: '' Carmen-Suite'') Eleonora Turovsky (violin), Natalya Turovsky (violin), Catherine Perrin (harpsichord/piano) /

I Musici de Montreal I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plur ...

Yuli Turovsky Yuli Turovsky OC CQ (Russian: Юлий Туровский; 7 June 193915 January 2013) was a Soviet-born Canadian cellist, conductor and music educator. His name is mostly associated with the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra, which he f ...

(conductor) (recorded 8/1996) :

Chandos Classics Frederick Warne (13 October 1825 – 17 November 1901) was a British publisher, founder of Frederick Warne & Co. Early life and career Warne was born in Westminster in 1825, sixth and youngest son of the twelve children of Edmund Warne, a builde ...

CHAN 9590 (CD, 1997) (+ Pärt: ''

Tabula rasa ''Tabula rasa'' (; Latin for "blank slate") is the idea of individuals being born empty of any built-in mental content, so that all knowledge comes from later perceptions or sensory experiences. Proponents typically form the extreme "nurture" ...

''; Górecki: Harpsichord Concerto) Marco Serino (violin), Ludovico Tramma (violin) / Ensemble Il Terzo Suono /

Flavio Emilio Scogna Flavio Emilio Scogna (born 16 August 1956 in Savona, Liguria) is an Italian composer and conductor. Biography After studying at the Conservatory of Genoa, Scogna subsequently went on to further his studies in composition and conducting, amo ...

(conductor) (recorded 11/1995 and 06/1998) : Dynamic 2030 (CD, 2000) (+ Schnittke: Sonata for violin & chamber orchestra, "Monologue" for viola and chamber orchestra) Victor Kuleshov (violin), Ilya Yoff (violin), Julia Lev (harpsichord/piano) / St. Petersburg Mozarteum Chamber Orchestra / Arcady Shteinlukht (conductor) (recorded 2004?) : Manchester Files CDMAN175 (CD, 2004) (+ Schnittke: Concerto for Piano and Strings)

(flute), Christopher Cowie (oboe), Grant Brasler (harpsichord), Albert Combrink (piano) /

(conductor) (recorded 12/2008) : BIS Records BIS-CD-1727 (CD, 2009) (+ Schnittke:

Symphony No. 9 Symphony No. 9 most commonly refers to: * Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) in D minor (Op. 125, ''Choral'') by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1822–24 * Symphony No. 9 (Dvořák) in E minor (Op. 95, B. 178, ''From the New World'') by Antonín Dvořák, 1893 ...

) Maria Alikhanova (flute), Dmitri Bulgakov (oboe) / Chamber Orchestra Kremlin /

Misha Rachlevsky Misha Rachlevsky (: born 13 November 1946, Moscow) is a Russian conductor. Conductor Misha Rachlevsky was born in Moscow, he began his musical education at the early age of five with violin lessons, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory The Mo ...

(conductor) (recorded 2011?) : Quartz Music QTZ2083 (CD, 2011) (+ J.S. Bach: Concerto for 2 Violins and Strings, arr. for flute, oboe and strings; Schnittke: "Moz-art à la Haydn" for 2 Violins and Strings, arr. for flute, oboe and strings)

Notes and references

Notes Citations Sources * * * * *

External links

* , played by

, and the

Kremerata Baltica Kremerata Baltica is a chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). It was founded by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer in 1997. Gidon Kremer is an artistic director of Kremerata Baltica. Descript ...

, on the 70th anniversary of Schnittke's birth
Sheet music

{{Authority control

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 as a "composer who was conc ...

Concertos by Alfred Schnittke Music dedicated to ensembles or performers 1977 compositions