Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
Composer: Alfred Schnittke
Date of Publication: 11 July 1985
It is slightly bewildering why this concerto sounds so ominous and depressing despite being composed in the summer of 1985. In the same year, Gorbachev came into power as general secretary of the CPSU and travel restrictions were reduced, creating a generally more up-beat environment. However, Schnittke, a well-respected Russian composer who was famous for his film scores and "The 11th Commandment", was known primarily for his dark and crude pieces and his viola concerto is no different.
Dedicated to Yuri Bashmet, a famous contemporary violist, the piece is divided into 3 movements, with each one longer than the last. Throughout the piece, the viola screams with anguished declamations, followed by eerie melodies and harmonies throughout the entire orchestra. Schnittke displays his mastery in setting a scenery in his music as well; employing chords progressing similar to church music and echoes in the orchestra creating a haunting atmosphere. His other notable attributes is his employment of the musical "alphabet" to engrave the names of who his pieces are dedicated to, which he uses to establish the motif of this piece, writing Bashmet's name in the melody: Bb, A, Eb, C, B natural, E natural (which reads B, A, Es, C, H, Mi in French and German).
Unfortunately, Schnittke's choice for an ominous mood was fitting, as he suffered from a series of strokes shortly after finishing the piece until his death in 1998. Later, Schnittke would give new meaning to his viola concerto, saying “In a certain respect the piece has the character of a – temporary – farewell. For ten days after finishing work on it, I was placed in a situation from which there was hardly any way out. I could only slowly enter a second phase of life, a phase through which I am still passing. Like a premonition of what was to come, the music took on the character of a restless chase through life (in the second movement) and that of a slow and sad overview of life on the threshold of death (in the third movement).”
Movements:
I. Largo
II. Allegro molto
III. Largo
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