Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Russia

Birth

:

November 24, 1934 in Engels, Russia

Death

:

August 3, 1998 in Hamburg, Germany

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Alfred Schnittke was a Russian composer who was born on November 24, 1934, in Engels, a city in the Soviet Union. He was the son of a Jewish journalist and a Catholic mother, and his family moved to Vienna in 1946, where he began his musical education. Schnittke studied at the Vienna Conservatory and later at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was a student of Yuri Shaporin and Evgeny Golubev. Schnittke's early works were influenced by the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, and he was often compared to his mentor. However, Schnittke's music was more experimental and avant-garde, and he was known for his use of polytonality, atonality, and other modernist techniques. His music was also influenced by his interest in medieval and Renaissance music, as well as by his Catholic faith. Schnittke's breakthrough came in 1968 with his First Symphony, which was premiered in Moscow. The symphony was a bold and innovative work that combined elements of classical and modernist music, and it established Schnittke as one of the leading composers of his generation. The symphony was followed by a series of other works, including the Second Symphony, which was premiered in 1979 and was dedicated to the memory of Shostakovich. Schnittke's music was often controversial in the Soviet Union, and he was frequently criticized by the authorities for his avant-garde style. However, he continued to compose and to experiment with new forms and techniques. In the 1980s, he began to incorporate elements of traditional Russian music into his works, and he also began to explore the possibilities of electronic music. One of Schnittke's most famous works is his Concerto Grosso No. 1, which was premiered in 1977. The concerto is a tribute to the Baroque era, and it features a solo violin and cello, as well as a string orchestra and harpsichord. The work is notable for its use of polytonality and for its juxtaposition of Baroque and modernist elements. Another important work by Schnittke is his opera Life with an Idiot, which was premiered in 1992. The opera is based on a story by Viktor Erofeev, and it tells the story of a man who is visited by an idiot who disrupts his life. The opera is a dark and surreal work that combines elements of opera, theater, and film. Schnittke's later works were marked by his declining health, as he suffered from a series of strokes in the 1990s. However, he continued to compose until his death on August 3, 1998, in Hamburg, Germany. His legacy as one of the most important composers of the 20th century is secure, and his music continues to be performed and studied around the world.

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