# Schnitke



## Nevum (Nov 28, 2013)

What are his best works? I have been listening to his symphonies and some of his violin works. Stunning. A yet to be recognized appropriately genius.


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## Nevum (Nov 28, 2013)

Sorry for the typo in the title. System does not allow me to fix it.

Schnittke....


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Ah! Schnittke  I believe he was recognized as the leading Russian contemporary composer before his passing. Now it's Gubaidulina. I'm sure many here will agree that his "best" work is his piano concerto. I was raised on that piece and his Concerto Grosso no. 1. There are several Versions on youtube. Happy listening!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

For reference, there is a pretty voluminous Alfred Schnittke thread in the _Composers Guestbooks_ forum here. Lots of discussions of specific works.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

TC's own _Classical Music Project_ is a great resource for these types of things. The 19 Schnittke works listed are as follows:

A Paganini
*Cello Concerto #1*
*Choir Concerto*
*Concerto for Piano and Strings*
*Concerto Grosso #1*
Peer Gynt
*Piano Quintet*
Piano Trio
Requiem
*Seid Nüchtern und Wachtet (Faust Cantata)*
String Quartet #2
*String Quartet #3*
String Trio
*Symphony #1*
Symphony #2 "St. Florian"
Symphony #3
Symphony #5 (Concerto Grosso #4)
Symphony #7
*Viola Concerto*

I'd start with the bolded works, but you really can't go wrong with this guy!


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## Anankasmo (Jun 23, 2017)

Concerto for strings and piano
Concerto Grosso 1
Clowns und Kinder
Tango in a mad house
Declaration of love


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

That's a good list by Portamento. I'd add a few suggestions: Concerto Grosso #2, Cello Sonata #1, Septet, Violin Concerto #3, and Three Pieces in the Olden Style (the latter if only because he used the materials in so many of his other pieces, such as (K)ein Sommernachtstrum).






Schnittke's final piece, his elliptical Variations for string quartet (1997), is also one that I enjoy: it's resigned, pensive, and yet striving. Written after a series of debilitating strokes that would eventually result in his death, it was apparently incredibly painful for him to compose.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I'm not sure the best of Schnittke is in his symphonies. I find myself most impressed by many of the concertos (for piano and strings, for viola, for cello x 2, for violin #4 and maybe #3) and a fair amount of his chamber music. When I like his music I really love it!


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I consider Schnittke and Ligeti to be the best composers of the second half of the 20th century (take it with a grain of salt, because I have not yet explored this period that much). Schnittke was a genius. I really like his chamber music - string quartets, piano quintet, string trio, cello concertos, requiem, his symphonies and concerti grossi. He is a polystylist and a mystic and can express moods like noone else. 
He was also very versatile and composed some beautiful film music


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

Agree with Jacck about Ligeti and Schnittke, though I'd add Lutoslawski to that group.

It was wonderful to be alive in the mid-1980s, when all three of these composers were at the top of their game, producing stellar work. It seemed like classical music had a vital and fantastic future with these men at the helm.

By the way, my reference to Three Pieces in the Olden Style is inaccurate. I meant Suite in the Old Style


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Schnittke is one of those modernists whose music could be, would be, enjoyed by audiences if only those people, the conductors and managers would give it a hearing. Of course, many people were turned off of Schnittke forever for the godawful cadenzas he wrote - and Gidon Kremer recorded - for the Beethoven violin concerto. Still, a fun, life-affirming, marvelous talent.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

mbhaub said:


> *Schnittke is one of those modernists whose music could be, would be, enjoyed by audiences if only those people, the conductors and managers would give it a hearing.* Of course, many people were turned off of Schnittke forever for the godawful cadenzas he wrote - and Gidon Kremer recorded - for the Beethoven violin concerto. Still, a fun, life-affirming, marvelous talent.


Yes, especially since there is so much stylistic continuity from the more challenging work of Shostakovich, Weinberg and Prokofiev.


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