Alfred Schnittke
Born: 24th November 1934, Engels, Russia
Died: 3rd August 1998, Hamburg, Germany
Nationality: German Soviet
Alfred Garrievich Schnittke was a Soviet 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 concerned in his music to depict the moral and spiritual struggles of contemporary man in [...] depth and detail."
Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic Symphony No. 1 (1969–1972) and his first concerto grosso (1977). In the 1980s, Schnittke's music began to become more widely known abroad with the publication of his second (1980) and third (1983) string quartets and the String Trio (1985); the ballet Peer Gynt (1985–1987); the third (1981), fourth (1984), and fifth (1988) symphonies; and the viola concerto (1985) and first cello concerto (1985–1986).
Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Schnittke
Browse: Schnittke
Further Reading: Schnittke
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Leonard Elschenbroich on Musica Nostalgica
9th Feb 2017
The German cellist talks to Katherine about his disc of Schnittke, released on Onyx last month.
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Schnittke from Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
16th Feb 2015
James listens to Alfred Schnittke's bold, polystylistic Third Symphony, performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Vladimir Jurowski.
Popular Genres: Schnittke
Orchestral
Chamber
Instrumental
Choral
Concertos
Popular Works: Schnittke
- A Paganini for violin solo (18)
- Canon in memoriam Igor Stravinsky for string quartet (9)
- Cello Concerto No. 1 (13)
- Cello Sonata No. 1 (44)
- Cello Sonata No. 2 (9)
- Concerto for Choir (17)
- Concerto for Piano & Strings (1979) (13)
- Concerto Grosso No. 1 (15)
- Concerto Grosso No. 2 for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (7)
- Concerto Grosso No. 5 (6)
- Epilogue from the ballet Peer Gynt, for cello, piano and tape (8)
- Five Aphorisms (10)
- Fugue for solo violin (8)
- Gratulationsrondo (6)
- Klingende Buchstaben for solo cello (1988) (9)
- Moz-Art à la Haydn (11)
- Musica nostalgica (12)
- Piano Quartet (7)
- Piano Quintet, Op. 108 (15)
- Piano Sonata No. 1 (5)
- Piano Sonata No. 2 (5)
- Piano Sonata No. 3 (5)
- Prelude in memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich (13)
- Requiem (7)
- Sonata for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (10)
- Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (28)
- Sonata No. 2 (Quasi una Sonata) for violin and piano (13)
- Sonata No. 3 for violin & piano (7)
- Stille Musik for violin and cello (7)
- Stille Nacht for Violin & Piano (10)
- String Quartet No. 2 (6)
- String Quartet No. 3 (16)
- String Quartet No. 4 (1989) (5)
- String Trio (14)
- Suite in the Old Style (26)
- Three Sacred Hymns (15)
- Trio for violin, cello & piano (9)
- Trio Sonata for chamber orchestra (6)
- Viola Concerto (10)
- Voices of Nature, for ten women's voices & vibraphone (7)
Recent Best Sellers: Schnittke
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New. Schnittke: Complete Works For Two Violins
Vadim Gluzman (violin), Friedemann Eichhorn, Evgeny Sinaiski, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Valentin Uryupin
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Gramophone Magazine, September 2026, Editor's Choice
CD: $14.50Download from $10.00 -
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Special offer. Il Cannone - Francesca Dego plays Paganini's violin
Francesca Dego (violin), Francesca Leonardi (piano)
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Presto Editor's Choice, February 2021
CD: Original price $20.00 Reduced $16.60Download from $7.00 -
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Schnittke: Choir Concerto
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Kaspars Putnins
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Gramophone Magazine, July 2026, Critics' Choice 2021
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Diapason d’Or, October 2021, Nouveauté
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2021
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International Classical Music Awards, 2022, Nominated - Choral
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Grammy Awards, 64th Awards (2022), Nominee - Best Choral Performance
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Diapason d’Or de l’Année, 2021, Musique chorale
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BBC Music Magazine Awards, 2022, Shortlisted - Choral
SACD: $17.75 -
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Tchaikovsky & Babajanian: Piano Trios
Vadim Gluzman (violin), Johannes Moser (cello), Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2019
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Diapason d’Or, March 2020, Nouveauté
SACD: $17.75 -
New Releases: Schnittke
View all new releases-
New. Schnittke: Complete Works For Two Violins
Vadim Gluzman (violin), Friedemann Eichhorn, Evgeny Sinaiski, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Valentin Uryupin
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Gramophone Magazine, September 2026, Editor's Choice
CD: $14.50Download from $10.00 -
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New. Queen Elisabeth Competition: Cello 2026
Ettore Pagano, Tae-Yeon Kim, Álvaro Lozano Cames, Leland Ko, Clara Dietlin, Antoine de Grolée, Maria Zaitseva, Maria Zaitseva Sr, Krzysztof Michalski, Sarah Zajtmann, Adria Ye, Lionel Martin, Dilshod Narzillaev, Andrew Ilhoon Byun, Ivan Sendetsky, Thomas Hoppe, Yo Kitamura, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Antony Hermus, Vahan Mardirossian
4 CDs: $50.00Download from $20.50 -
New. Leaps In Time
Marija Jankova Noller
CD: $18.75Download from $10.00 -
New. Soundmarks – 53° 33‘ N 9° 59‘ E
Eva Wetzel (violin), Antonio Di Dedda (piano)
CD: $18.75Download from $10.00
