Alfred Schnittke

A bacon sandwich similar to one that Schnittke may have eaten

The Dodo never had a chance. He seems to have been invented for the sole purpose of becoming extinct and that was all he was good for.
(Will Cuppy, How to Become Extinct)

Lately I have listened again to quite of bit of Schnittke, after having taken a long break from the composer’s music – at some point at the time when avant-garde (Stockhausen, Boulez, Xenakis, Ligeti, Maxwell Davies, Rihm etc.) was new to me, I found him too conservative. Here are a few of my impressions:

String Trio (1985):
Previously I had found to be one of the weaker works – yet I had heard it in my solicitor’s wife’s car the other day and I was surprised how striking on that occasional listening the textures really were, and then I decided to put on the CD at home. Already the first few bars feature breathtaking harmonies. Whenever the music threatens to die down, the composer consistently comes up with solutions as what to do next that are unusually elegant and imaginative. Very solid and varied thematic development; I have always found this a strong point with this composer. Now I find the String Trio compelling music.

Historia von D. Johann Fausten (1991-94):
This opera shows Schnittke’s effortless prowess with vocal expression. Vocal writing tends to be one of the more problematic, weaker points of avant-garde composition, where it often leans toward ungrateful writing and/or boring one dimensionality and indistinctiveness. Some composers are notable exceptions, such as Stockhausen and Rihm, whose vocal writing actually tends to be among the strongest aspects of their compositional output. Yet Schnittke’s vocal writing is strong as well. It switches naturally between atonality and tonality, and his “polystylism” in that respect is so unforced and unobtrusive that at least I only notice it when consciously reflecting upon the music. There are, of course, the exceptions where stylistic references are all too (intentionally) obvious.

Cello Concerto No. 2 (1990):
This had always been one of my favourites, and did not disappoint me this time either. That opening theme of twelve notes has always struck me as particularly visceral, and I find very successful how the composer treats it in the first movement and has it come back at select places in the second one. The switch from motivic to mainly rather nervous, gestural language in the second movement is also satisfying and exciting. The ensuing slow movement features beautiful invention. The fourth movement opens in a thrilling manner when the theme bounces from one orchestral group to another, and the final movement, that slow passacaglia, is simply unbelievable in its beauty and complex treatment of the theme and deviating gestures. Like the CD booklet (Rostropovich, Ozawa, London Symphony Orchestra on Sony) puts it well about the recitative of the cello: “at times it progresses thematically, at times it only reacts spontaneously”. The constant switching between these options is well judged and makes for a gripping listening experience. There are breathtaking textures in this concerto that would do any avant-garde composer proud.

Viola Concerto (1985):
Also here striking timbres are found, and the way musical tension is built is exciting. Thematic treatment is very inventive. Unlike the less polystylistic works, this music makes obvious references to nostalgic and kitschy realms, but in my view in a brilliant manner. Certainly the “devil’s dance” at the end of the second movement is over the top, but how good that sounds and how well the build up to this passage is done!

What always has drawn me to Schnittke’s music is that, next to the “romantic expression”, his music always works convincingly on the level of “absolute” music. The expressive tension is always founded on a compelling musical tension, and the musical narrative is practically always coherent.

When I was introduced to the avant-garde in the 1980s I basically forgot to listen to Schnittke. Now I realize that I was foolish to do so; in fact I find him still, or again, one of the best composers of the last fifty years, and I also find that I was not at all wrong to have been so immersed in his music from 1990-1999: his music is good enough to deserve it.

(I heard apocryphally that Schnittke was very prone to excessive lubrication before and during composition, and the (to my ears) perversity of some of the writing suggests a man staggering backed into a corner, incapable of the grace under pressure of Shostakovich. If I’m missing something, I’m open to insights.)

Tags: germany, russia, schnittke, shostakovich