Schnittke: Complete Violin Concertos, Nos. 1-4

Enno Senft (Artist), Alfred Schnittke (Composer), Christoph Eschenbach (Conductor), Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Orchestra), Philharmonia Orchestra (Orchestra), NDR Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Gidon Kremer (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gidon Kremer
• Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Philharmonia Orchestra, NDR Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
• Composer: Alfred Schnittke
• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Teldec / Wea
• ASIN: B00004Z44N
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,494 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Con No.1: Allegro Na Non Troppo

2. Con No.1: Andante

3. Con No.1: Allegro Scherzando

4. Con No.2 - Gidon Kremer/Enno Senft

Disc: 2

1. Con No.3: Moderato

2. Con No.3: Agitato

3. Con No.3: Andante

4. Con No.4: Andante

5. Con No.4: Vivo (Cadenza Visuale)

6. Con No.4: Adagio

7. Con No.4: Lento (Cadenza Visuale)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kremer soars, bringing Schnittke's vision to life, September 10, 2001

By 

R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Schnittke: Complete Violin Concertos, Nos. 1-4 (Audio CD)

The extraordinary voice of Gidon Kremer on violin is what makes this such a great record. Kremer championed Schnittke for years, and it seemed to be a great combination of the visionary introvert and the passionate performer. Here it comes together spectacularly!

The First Concerto, as Schnittke himself says in the liner notes, is of mainly historical value, in what it reveals of his later directions. Unlike Lutoslawski's "Concerto for Orchestra," which he wrote under the constraints of the social realist regime, but is a truly wonderful piece nonetheless, this Schnittke composition is not one for repeated listening. The Second Concerto features the violin as Jesus and the inevitably ugly, raucous orchestra as "hostile crowd and soldiers." Could it also be the individual and the hostile regime? It raises the question of the extent to which religion was a sincere belief in the old Soviet Bloc and the extent to which it was the safest vehicle for dissidence... The Third and Fourth Concertos, on the second disc, are just amazing. Here you sense Schnittke's links with Schubert and Mahler (which he mentions in the liner notes) quite strongly. Performed live, the Fourth is marked by climactic passages where Kremer stops playing -- a dramatic gesture. This is captured in the recording by anguished nonverbal vocalizations. Schnittke refers to the beautiful, classical melodies in the piece as "painted corpses," underscoring what Kremer refers to as the "double meaning, the twist" characteristic of his music.

With Kremer at his lyrical best, my cringing at the over-the-top, horror music aspect sometimes found in Schnittke's orchestral writing is overwhelmed. Schnittke and Kremer together express something deep and heartfelt regarding the human tragedy.

I consider Schnittke to be one of the 12 best composers of the late 20th century -- see my SCHNITTKE: A LISTENER'S GUIDE list for more recordings and reviews.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has there been a more persuasive interpreter of Schnittke?, October 12, 2005

By 

the unamusicologist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schnittke: Complete Violin Concertos, Nos. 1-4 (Audio CD)

These are amazingly persuasive performances of Schnittke's music due in no small part to the combination of Kremer's astonishing virtuosity, his powers as an interpreter, and his passion for this music. Other performances (Lubotsky, for example, or Ambartsumian [in the Third Concerto]) are adequate to good, but Kremer easily edges out these rival versions. In fact, if you've been underwhelmed by the pieces before, this set will turn you around.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Set of Schnittke's Music., December 28, 2002

By 

Noah Lambert "Noah Lambert" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schnittke: Complete Violin Concertos, Nos. 1-4 (Audio CD)

In this well laid out album you get a distinct timeline of the development of Alfred Schnittke. Starting from the first concerto (written while a student in 1957 and revised in 1966) to his last concerto written in 1984 Schnittke's development is interesting to follow. The performances are all first rate. Played by Gidon Kremer and the accompaniments are superb especially in the second concerto with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the fourth concerto with the NDR Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg.

The album is very well laid out with no concerto being fragmented on two discs. The album also has very good liner notes with biographical information of Schnittke, Schnittke himself discussing his concertos, and the violinist Gidon Kremer discussing Schnittke. I would highly recommend getting this disc.