Schnittke: Quasi una Sonata

On this CD:

1. Sonata for violin & piano No.1
Composed by Alfred Schnittke
Performed by Sergey Schepkin, Joanna Kurkowicz

2. A Paganini, for violin
Composed by Alfred Schnittke
Performed by Joanna Kurkowicz

3. Sonata for violin & piano No.2 ("Quasi una sonata")
Composed by Alfred Schnittke
Performed by Sergey Schepkin, Joanna Kurkowicz

4. Preludium in Memoriam D. Shostakovich, for 2 violins or violin & tape
Composed by Alfred Schnittke
Performed by Joanna Kurkowicz

Tracks:

Con grosso No.1: 1. Prelude: Andante
Con grosso No.1: 2. Toccata: Allegro
Con grosso No.1: 3. Recitativo: Lento
Con grosso No.1: 4. Cadenza [without tempo marking]
Con grosso No.1: 5. Rondo. Agitato
Con grosso No.1: 6. Postludio. Andante-Allegro-Andante
Quasi una son - Gidon Kremer/Yuri Smirnov
Moz-Art a la Haydn - Gidon Kremer/Titiana Grindenko
A Paganini - Gidon Kremer

Customer Reviews:

good starters cd for schnittke.......2003-04-02

I have just started to listen to schnittke music. I saw this and got it and have not stopped listening to the power of the music.
The concerto grosso for violins, harp, and piano is something else

Great Introduction to Schnittke Courtesy of Kremer.......2002-11-30

This is a splendid introduction to those like myself who are unfamiliar with Schnittke's oeuvre. It's a fine mixture of chamber music and small orchestral pieces, highlighting the splendid playing of violinist Gidon Kremer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Judging from this CD, Kremer surely must be regarded as one of Schnittke's most passionate advocates, judging from his electrifying, technically brilliant playing which has ample doses of lyricism. Without question, the most emotionally gripping work is the Concerto Grosso, which sounds like a post-modern take on Bach's or Vivaldi's music. The sound quality is splendid for an early Deutsche Grammophon recording.

classical, or a creature of its own?.......2002-07-31

This was my first exposure to Schnittke, and it (the Concerto Grosso on this album) was hypnotizing. It sounded less like most classical pieces I'd been familiar with, and more like an hour-long trip of experimental mood textures built up upon each other, then destroyed dramatically, others thrust down your throat before you had a chance to take a breath (this is one of those few experiences when I sometimes had to remember to breath .. Dylan Thomas being another). It sometimes has the mood impression of a piece of 'trance' music, is sometimes wistful, sometimes angry, other times whimsical .. it is very hard to turn off after the first 10-15 minutes. The references to other classical pieces are also fascinating .. it is amazing how different familiar passages can sound couched in such different surroundings. This is a fantastic recording, and one which has changed my expectations for new music (classical or otherwise) forever.

I REQUIRE YOU TO LOVE THE MUSIC OF SCHNITTKE AS MUCH AS I DO.......2001-07-15

If you're acquainted with Schnittke's string quartets or viola concerto, you might know what to expect from a disc like this one. When he was at his best - as he was, I feel, with the quartets and that concerto - he was darned close.

And so he is, here - darned near perfect, for all of 75 minutes' worth of music. The Concerto Grosso No. 1 is performed persuasively and enjoyably, which must be quite difficult with a piece of music this eclectic both in style and emotional tenor. It veers - sometimes comically, sometimes almost frighteningly - between 18th-century decorousness, bawdy cabaret and abject expressionism. (Listening to it right now, I just spotted a quotation from Tchaikovsky hidden amidst a swarm of angry, screeching violins.) The switches that performer Yuri Smirnov is here required to make between the harpsichord and prepared piano are especially powerful - chilling, even.

"Quasi una Sonata," an earlier work - appearing here in the composer's arrangement for violinist with chamber orchestra - is a little less shocking, but no less passionate and rigorous, and thoroughly compelling in its own right. The contrasts between thorny expressionism and tonal melody/harmony are perfectly calculated, very exciting.

"Moz-Art a la Haydn," a "game with music," is a hoot. As the name might imply, basically tosses Mozart into the blender and uses the musical fragments for a series of wonderfully silly musical "games" for conductor and performers. It's been said that few of the great composers are ever genuinely funny; Schnittke demonstrates here that he can make you think and laugh at once. (Mozart, of course, is the most notable exception to that rule, and one imagines he would only enjoy the perverse liberties Schnittke has taken with his music.)

I admit that the last piece on this disc, "A Paganini," is the least rewarding for me; it certainly loses something not to be able to actually see the performer wrestling with the, yes, Paganini-esque virtuosity the piece requires. However, it's still a very interesting listen, and the fact that the composer was able to wring 13 genuinely exciting minutes out of what is basically a series of cadenzas for solo violin is certainly a feat in itself.

Tracks:

Son No.1: First Movt: Andante
Son No.1: Second Movt: Allegretto
Son No.1: Third Movt: Largo
Son No.1: Fourth Movt: Allegretto Scherzando
Son No.2 (Quasi Una Son) - Mateja Marinkovic/Linn Hendry
Str Trio: First Movt: Moderato - Mateja Marinkovic/Linn Hendry
Str Trio: Second Movt: Adagio - Mateja Marinkovic/Paul Silverthorne/Tim Hugh

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Schnittke: Quasi una Sonata

Manufacturer: Bridge
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The Goldberg Variations
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ASIN: B000056QEB
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Son No.1: 1. Andante
Son No.1: 2. Allegro
Son No.1: 3. Largo
Son No.1: 4. Allegretto Scherzando - Allegro - Largo - Allegretto
A Paganini - Joanna Kurkowicz
Son No.2 (Quasi Una Son)
Prld In Memoriam - Joanna Kurkowicz

Alfred Schnittke: Quasi una sonata; Suite in the Old Style; Moz-Art à la Haydn; Concerto Grosso No. 6

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Alfred Schnittke: Quasi una sonata; Suite in the Old Style; Moz-Art à la Haydn; Concerto Grosso No. 6

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ASIN: B000FI9OR2
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Schnittke: Quasi Una Sonata, etc / Valery Gradow, Inna Heifetz

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Schnittke: Quasi Una Sonata, etc / Valery Gradow, Inna Heifetz

Manufacturer: Sonora Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000009M94
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Tracks:

Son No. 2: 'Quasi Una Sonata'
Son No. 1: Andante
Son No. 1: Allegretto
Son No. 1: Largo
Son No. 1: Allegretto
Ste In Old Style: Pastorale
Ste In Old Style: Ballet
Ste In Old Style: Minuet
Ste In Old Style: Fugue
Ste In Old Style: Pantomime
A Paganini

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Another essential Schnittke
Generally minor Schnittke, except for the 1st concerto, available in better performance
Schnittke + Kremer X 3

Concerto Grossi 1-5 (Dig)
Schnittke , Kremer , Schiff , Coe , Vpo , and Dohnanyi
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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Binding: Audio CD

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Alfred Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 4 - Symphony No. 5 / Pianissimo for Large Orchestra
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Kremer Plays Schnittke

ASIN: B00006L774
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Customer Reviews:

Another essential Schnittke.......2006-01-11

Lets get facts straight, as I see on a classical chat site where this guy rates Schnittke a 7 out of 10, and Shostakovich a 10. Schnittke was not second to Shostakovich in any aspects of writing. Both write from different styles, yet Schnittke draws on Shostakovich as MUCH AS HE NEEDED. You see Schnittke was not afraid to "borrow" ideas from any composer.
Frankly I know of no other composer that si as ecelitic and dynamic as Schnittke, thgough as I say Shostakovich was just as eloquent and expressive.
. Obviously one can't make a direct comparison, both composers are acknowledged as masters in russia, and the musical world in russia are in agreement that Schnittke was Shosty's true heir. Though Schnittke was not purely russian, but german, russian, and viennese as well, he lived in all 3 places due to the war. . A true eccletic composer.
Schnittke along with Allan Pettersson are the 2 last of the great composers starting with Bach. Both are far superior to Both learned from Stravinsky, others, and moved on fropm Stravinsy's ballets. . (I brought up Stravinsky because I see so many classicphiles who just can't for whatever reason, move beyond Stravinsky. Stravinsky to me was a pop hit/the talk of the town so to speak, in his days in Paris/America, but since has been surpassed by quite a few, Stravinsky was mainly for ballet, this is where his genius lays. )
Schnittke really has no minor works, 95% or what he wrote is superior writing, more that Shostakovich who indeed has a few less than stellar works. .
Performance quiality on this cd is top notch, as is all of Kremer's recordings in Schnittke.
Read Hutchinson's excellent reviews on Schnittke.
Schnittke represents the culmination of 20th century high art in classical music.
I highly recommend to all Schnittke fans the book, A Schnittke Reader/editor Ivashkin.
Schnittke was as great in music as he was in philosophical and religious thought. An amazing individual of a powerful and profound mind

Generally minor Schnittke, except for the 1st concerto, available in better performance.......2005-10-01

This Deutsche Grammaphon disc, part of its "Echo 20/21" series of contemporary music reissues, collects three pieces by the late Russian composer Alfred Schnittke, with a spotlight on violinist Gidon Kremer. The disc covers three distinct eras of Schnittke's oeuvre, with "Quasi una sonata" breaking free of serialism, his first concerto grosso coming from his period of comfortable polystylism and abundant quotation of yesteryear's works, and the fifth concerto grosso dating from after his 1985 stroke when his writing became sparser.

The "Concerto grosso no. 1" for two violins, harpsichord, prepared piano, and string orchestra (1977) is performed here by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Heinrich Schiff with Kremer and Tatyana Gridenko on violin and Yuri Smirnov on both harpischord and prepared piano. The work is a typical example of Schnittke's "polystylism", where the most modern techniques are combined with throwbacks to baroque and classical sounds in a way that, strangely, isn't incongruous. Among composers whose work Schnittke has absorbed here in parody or direct quotation are Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Webern, and Tchaikovsky. The work is even rounded out by a tango on the harpischord. A fun work, though I prefer the Soviet-era performance--also with Gridenko and Kremer--that is available both on a disc in the Moscow Studio Archives series and on a Collegno collection of Schnittke pieces.

The "Concerto grosso no. 5" for violin, invisible piano, and orchestra (1990-91) is quite different from Schnittke's earlier works in this genre in its eschewing of quotation. The form is unusual as well, highlighting the violin with elaborate cadenzas so much that this might even be called a violin concerto. The piano, "invisible" in that it is placed off stage and amplified, provides only the simplest of supporting roles. While some of the rhythmic motifs here are interesting, I find the piece to be typical of Schnittke's late work, which I'm not too big a fan of, and therefore do not return to this often. The performance here is by the Wiener Philharmonker conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi with Kremer on violin and Keuschnig, but I regrettably have nothing to compare it to.

"Quasi una sonata" for violin and chamber orchestra was first composed in 1968 but set for chamber orchestra in 1987. Here Kremer conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe while simultaneously By the late 1960s Schnittke had tired of serialism, but was uncomfortable composing without the guidelines of that technique, so he wrote a work that combines serialism with traditional tonalism, giving rise to the polystylism that would later make him famous. Three main sections can be distinguished in this single-movement work, a sonata, an adagio, and a fugue, and each is made up of contrasting tonal and atonal moments. While somewhat entertaining, and clearly important in the composer's development, it pales in comparison to his works of the following decade.

If you have never heard any of Schnittke's concerti grossi before, try getting the "Concerto grosso no. 2" for violin and cello in the Moscow Studio Archives series, a seminal Soviet-era performance by the dedicatees of a fun and zany work, and mid-price to boot. While Kremer is a master of contemporary violin repertoire, this recording is not the best representation of Schnittke's art.

Schnittke + Kremer X 3.......2003-02-05

DG has put together a very smart reissue here. "Concerto grosso 1" and "Quasi una sonata" for violin and chamber orchestra were originally released in 1989. "Concerto grosso 5" has been rescued from its original 1993 release back-to-back with a Glass piece, and is now united with the other Kremer performances of Schnittke. The entire disc is a showcase for Gidon Kremer, who was Schnittke's friend and champion. Dohnanyi and the Vienna Philharmonic are amazing on "5", clearly outshining Schiff and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, which perform with Kremer on the 1989 recordings. If you enjoy this music as much as I do, you should not miss Schnittke's violin concertos, played by Kremer (on Teldec) and his string quartets, played by Kronos (on Nonesuch) -- see my reviews of both. And don't miss Gubaidulina either -- DG 20/21 has recently released works for viola with Bashmet, and reissued OFFERTORIUM with Kremer -- see my review.

Schnittke called the 1977 piece an example of "polystylism," and sure enough there are elements of baroque and quotes from various composers, as well as a brief tango, but these are resolutely dissonant, modern works -- don't be misled into thinking otherwise. The ECM-esque cover photo is a great touch, credit to the DG 20/21 team.

I consider Schnittke to be one of the best late 20th century composers -- see my ALFRED SCHNITTKE'S TRAGICOMIC SOUNDWORLD for more recordings and reviews.

Brahms: Violin Concerto In D/Sibelius: Violin Concerto In D/Schumann: Violin Concerto In D/Weber: Grand Duo Concertan

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Kremer triumphs in the Brahms, Sibelius, and Schumann concertos

Brahms: Violin Concerto In D/Sibelius: Violin Concerto In D/Schumann: Violin Concerto In D/Weber: Grand Duo Concertan

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002SE4
Release Date: 1996-09-10

Tracks:

Violin Con in D, Op. 77: I. Allegro non troppo (Cadence : Kreisler)
Violin Con in D, Op. 77: II. Adagio
Violin Con in D, Op. 77: III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
Violin Con in d, Op. 47: I. Allegro moderato
Violin Con in d, Op. 47: II. Adagio di molto
Violin Con in d, Op. 47: III. Allegro ma non tanto

Tracks:

Violin Con in d, Op. posth: I. In Kraftigem, nicht zu schnellem tempo
Violin Con in d, Op. posth: II. Langsam - III. Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell
Grand Duo Con, Op. 48: I. Allegro con fuoco
Grand Duo Con, Op. 48: II. Andante con moto
Grand Duo Con, Op. 48: III. Rondo (Allegro)
Violin Son in E-flat, Op. 11: I. Frisch
Violin Son in E-flat, Op. 11: II. Im Zeitmaeines langsamen, feierlichen Tanzes
Violin Son No. 2: I. Quasi una sonata

Customer Reviews:

Kremer triumphs in the Brahms, Sibelius, and Schumann concertos.......2006-07-02

Gidon Kremer has been the dominant European violinist for so long that one may take for granted his large output extending over four decades. This is an EMI two-fer bursting with his huge talent. Three works will immediately attract attention: the concertos by Brahms, Sibelius, and Schumann. The Brahms with Karajan was his first recording of the work; there's a more romantically swelling account with Bernstein on DG. I like that one better, but we are comparing greatness with greatness. DG's recording wasn't the best in terms of sound, and hear EMI makes the Berlin Phil. sound gorgeous. Karajan glosses over things a bit in the accompaniment, but Kremer's playing is soaring and searching while remaining firmly on the modern side of the romantic divide.

Likewise in the Sibelius, a work he recorded only once. Other violinists tend to romanticize a work alreayd over-infused with gestures borrowed from Tchaikovsky, but Kremer plays with great integrity and imaginaiton, thinking every bar afresh. Muti's accompaniment is symphonic and dramatic, which makes just the right contrast to the soloist's haunting solitude in the far North.

The Schumann concerto is a wandering imperfect work that Kremer believes in and has recorded twice (the second time with Harnoncourt on Teldec). This first outing for EMI under Muti is less fierce and eccentric. I remain unconvinced by the work's quality, but it never got a better champion than Kremer, who is inward, intense, an lyrical.

The two CDs are generously filled out with a recital of sonatas by Weber, Hindemith, and Schnittke, where Kremer shares the spotlight with a galvanized Andrei Gavrilov--they share a common vision of impassioned, often edgy readings that try to sound as spontaneous as possible. The major work is also the toughest, the jagged, free-form Quasi una Sonata of Schnittke, a 20-min. work that is brilliant but very taxing for both performer and listener. I'd never call the two sonatas by Himdemith and Weber works of genius, but over time we may find that this is.

Schnittke: Violin Sonatas / Suite i Old Style

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Excellent performances of important early Schnittke

Schnittke: Violin Sonatas / Suite i Old Style

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000377P
Release Date: 1994-03-22

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performances of important early Schnittke.......2003-12-03

This disc features performances of Schnittke's first two violin sonatas played by their dedicatee, Mark Lubotsky, along with a less important parodic work. The two sonatas date from 1964 and 1968, and can be counted amongst the important of Schnittke's early works. They both are largely based around the clash between tonal and atonal material, and both use the B-A-C-H motto theme heavily, but they are very different works.

The First Sonata is a quasi-serial work, which begins in traditional twelve-tone style but clarifies its harmonic language into tonality by the end. It begins with a slow, portentous introductory movement that leads into a ferocious, biting Allegretto that might remind some listeners of Shostakovitch. The tolling of the B-A-C-H motif on the piano leads into a bleak, lyrically impassioned Largo before the tension explodes into a vigorous, rhythmic finale, which makes much play of super-dessicated piano notes (achieved by placing a block of wood on the piano strings). Eventually the energy of the finale whirls to a halt, and the work ends slowly and thoughtfully. This is arguably Schnittke's first major work, and it's easy to see why it's also one of his most popular--it's memorable, well-written (Schnittke always did write well for strings) and accessible. The performance here is lithe and rhythmic, with Lubotsky bringing out the inward lyricism superbly.

The second sonata, also known as "Quasi una sonata", is much more radical. Considering that the music is largely based around the B-A-C-H motify and a D minor triad, it is astonishingly dissonant. The work, indeed, begins with that triad played fortissimo in the piano. The violin answers with a violent discord. The two instruments share material, sometimes tonal, sometimes atonal. Sometimes the music seems to be heading towards coherence, sometimes it breaks down entirely, as in a passage where the violinist places only approximately pitches for about a minute. As the work goes on, the B-A-C-H motif becomes increasingly important, and the conflict between tonal and atonal more violent until it explodes in a climax where the piano pounds out the G minor triad, fortissimo, nearly 100 times without a break. After this, the music collapses, and the final B-A-C-H seems more like defiance than any real conclusion. This is an extraordinary work, if a very brutal one, but the vigour with which Lubotsky and Gothoni take it on makes it utterly compelling.

The Suite in the Old Style is very much a light sorbet after the main courses. It consists of five parodies of old styles arranged from Schnittke's film scores, though in the final pastorale something seems to be going wrong with the parody, leaving the listener to question the premise of the whole work. Once again, the performance is good.

This is an ideal introduction to Schnittke's music, containing two major works and a minor one; two accessible works and a difficult one; and three excellent performances. If it's unfortunate that the disc doesn't include the third violin sonata, this was not within the control of the participants as Schnittke had not completed the work at the time of these recording sessions.

Prokofiev, Schnittke, Khachaturian and others
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Prokofiev, Schnittke, Khachaturian and others

Manufacturer: Russian Disc
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All Works by Schnittke | Schnittke, Alfred | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000001LLN
Release Date: 1996-05-21

Szymanowski, Penderecki et al: Quasi Una Sonata
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Szymanowski, Penderecki et al: Quasi Una Sonata
Szymanowski , Penderecki , Schnittke , and Hvoslef
Manufacturer: Simax
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008FR7N
Release Date: 1995-11-11