Alfred Schnittke

Alfred Schnittke (Russian Альфред Гарриевич Шнитке / Alfred Garrijewitsch Schnitke; * November 24, 1934 in Engels, Soviet Union; † August 3, 1998 in Hamburg ) was a German-Russian composer and pianist.

Life

Schnittke was born as the son of originating from Frankfurt am Main journalists Harry Schnittke and a German teacher in the former capital of the Volga German Republic, Engels. He is the brother of the writer Viktor Schnittke. 1946 Alfred Schnittke began his musical training in Vienna and put them at the Moscow Conservatory from 1953 to 1958 with Yevgeny Golubev and Nikolai Rakov continued. At the Conservatory, he took a teaching position from 1961 to 1972. From 1973 Schnittke dedicated only to composition.

After initial experiments with compositional techniques such as serialism and aleatoric Schnittke be turned into a polystylistic composition manner that appeals to Charles Ives, Luciano Berio and Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Getting attention in the West achieved his works in the days of new music in Donaueschingen 1966 1985 Schnittke suffered a stroke as a result he was briefly clinically dead. ; this " sat in it again tremendous creative forces free - just over half of his major works was built in the 13 his remaining years in which prevented him three more strokes in the years 1991 and 1994, always at work again ." Even after his fourth stroke he could still write a 9th symphony before he died in 1998 at the age of 63 years.

In 1990, Schnittke, after more than 40 years living and working in Russia, with his family to Hamburg, where he was appointed professor of composition at the Academy of Music.

Alfred Schnittke was buried at Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery.

Awards

1986 Schnittke was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic called Krupskaya Prize. He was honored with the Film Award Nika 1989 and 1992 Schnittke was awarded the Praemium Imperiale and the Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

1995 Schnittke was the winner of the State Prize of the Russian Federation. In the same year he was awarded the Austrian Medal for Science and Art.

The asteroid ( 30836 ) Schnittke was named after him in 2002.

First works

In search of his compositional identity Schnittke wrote initially much scenic music and film music. The second violin sonata of 1968 marks the beginning of this new composition Stiles, at the same time Schnittke went but also compositionally an emerging with every work trip to sounds and concepts. Direct his Symphony No. 1 ( 1972-74 ), he titled himself as " Un - Symphony"; it is a auskomponiertes question mark in gigantic proportions and deals with the search for a contemporary symphonic form of the 20th century. Gestural and theatrical elements, another important feature of Schnittke's music are as much involved as traditional shapes and styles, jazz itself is staged as a "possibility", it is a symphonic Apocalypse. John Neumeier used this music for his ballet A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.

Film Music

Since 2001, Alfred Schnittke is also increasingly recognized as a composer of film scores. This is to a considerable extent the merit of the conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Frank Strobel. Strobel has taken since that time the soundtrack to, inter alia, Agonia, The Commissioner, clowns and children, Rikki- Tikki - Tavi and sports, sports, sports. This was well within the meaning of Alfred Schnittke, who in addition to seeing his film scores as equivalent "serious" compositions. 2005 and 2006 it was awarded the "Prize of the German Record Critics ."

Works

Operas

Ballets

  • Labyrinths (1971 )
  • Peer Gynt ( 1986-88 )

Film scores (selection)

  • The Adventures of a dentist (1965, directed by Elem Klimov )
  • The Commissioner (1967, premiered in 1987, directed by Alexander Askoldov )
  • Sport, Sport, Sport (1970, Director: Elem Klimov )
  • Uncle Vanya (1970, Director: Andrei Mikhalkov - Konchalovsky )
  • Experiences and something thought (17 - part TV series by Alexander Herzen's autobiography, 1973 Director: Lew Jelagin )
  • Agonia (1974, premiered in 1981, directed by Elem Klimov )
  • Clowns and children (1976, directed by Alexander Mitta )
  • The story of an unknown actor (1976, directed by Alexander Sarchi )
  • Rise (1977, directed by Larissa Shepitko )
  • The Last Days of St. Petersburg ( 1927 silent film, directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, Film Music Suite 1992)
  • The Master and Margarita (1993, directed by Yuri Kara )

Choral music

  • Oratorio Nagasaki ( 1958)
  • Cantata Songs of War and Peace (1959 )
  • Requiem ( incidental music to Schiller's drama Don Carlos ) (1974 /75)
  • Faust Cantata Be sober, be watchful (1982 /83)
  • Three Sacred Songs (1984 )
  • Concerto for Choir (1984/1985), large mixed choir Text: Prayer Book of Gregory of Narek, in four movements
  • 12 Penitential Psalms (1988 )

Symphonic Music

  • Symphony (No. 0, 1956-57 )
  • Pianissimo for Large Orchestra (1968 )
  • Symphony No. 1 ( 1972-74 ), in four movements
  • In Memoriam ( 1977-78 ), the orchestral version of the String Quintet ( 1972-76 )
  • Symphony No. 2 (1979 /80), " St. Florian ", six sets
  • Passacaglia for orchestra ( 1979-80 )
  • Gogol Suite (1980 )
  • Symphony No. 3 (1981 ), in four movements
  • Symphony No. 4 (1984 ), for countertenor, tenor, chamber choir and chamber orchestra ( text: Ave Maria), one movement
  • Ritual for Orchestra ( 1984-85 )
  • (K ) A Midsummer Night's Dream for Orchestra ( 1985)
  • Trio Sonata for Strings ( 1987), orchestral version of the String Trio (1985 ), arranged by Yuri Bashmet
  • Suite in the Old Style for chamber orchestra ( 1987)
  • Four Aphorisms for Orchestra ( 1988)
  • Symphony No. 5 (1988 ) = 4 Concerto Grosso, in four movements
  • Sutartines for percussion, organ and strings (1991 )
  • Symphony No. 6 (1992 ), in four movements
  • Hommage à Grieg (1993 )
  • Symphony No. 7 (1993 ), in three movements
  • Symphonic Prelude for Orchestra ( 1994)
  • Symphony No. 8 (1994 ), in five movements
  • For Liverpool for Orchestra ( 1994)
  • 9th Symphony ( 1996-97), in three movements, reconstruction of Alexander Raskatov, UA 16 June, 2007 Dresden

Concert Music

  • 4 Violin Concertos
  • 2 viola concertos (1985 & 1996/97)
  • 2 cello concertos
  • Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings
  • 6 Concerti Grossi
  • ( Concerto Grosso No.1 for flute, oboe, harpsichord, prepared piano and strings)
  • ( 4 = 5th Symphony )
  • Piano Concertos:
  • Poème for piano and orchestra (1953, lost)
  • Concerto for Piano and Orchestra ( 1960)
  • Music for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (1964 )
  • Concerto for Piano and Strings ( 1979)
  • Concerto for Piano Four Hands and Chamber Orchestra (1988 )

Chamber Music

  • 3 Piano Sonatas
  • 3 Violin Sonatas
  • 3 Cello Sonatas
  • A Paganini for solo violin (1983 )
  • String Trio (1985 )
  • Piano Trio (1992, arrangement of the String Trio )
  • Piano Quintet
  • Suite in the Old Style
  • 4 string quartets
  • "Schall und Hall " for trombone and organ

Students (selection)

  • Boris Guckelsberger
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