Schnittke: Cello Concerto No.2/In Memoriam

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Schnittke (b. 1934) has been called a "magician" for his nearly magical evocation of this century's most advanced musical styles. As a polystylist, he employs any mode that suits the music. He can have stretches of atonality and harsh serialism, then launch into passages of utter tonal beauty. This is a good disc that contains those features. The Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra 2 (1990) is a tense, difficult work, very demanding for the soloist (it was written for Mstislav Rostropovich). In Memoriam (1979) was originally a piano quintet, but Gennady Rozhdestvensky wanted it orchestrated. It is one of Schnittke's greatest compositions. --Paul Cook

Tracks:

Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra No. 2: I. Moderato
Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra No. 2: II. Allegro
Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra No. 2: III: Lento
Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra No. 2: IV: Allegretto vivo
Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra No. 2: V: Grave
In memoriam...: I: Moderato
In memoriam...: II: Tempo di Valse
In memoriam...: III: Andante
In memoriam...: IV: Lento
In memoriam...: V: Moderato pastorale

Amazon.com essential recording

Schnittke (b. 1934) has been called a "magician" for his nearly magical evocation of this century's most advanced musical styles. As a polystylist, he employs any mode that suits the music. He can have stretches of atonality and harsh serialism, then launch into passages of utter tonal beauty. This is a good disc that contains those features. The Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra 2 (1990) is a tense, difficult work, very demanding for the soloist (it was written for Mstislav Rostropovich). In Memoriam (1979) was originally a piano quintet, but Gennady Rozhdestvensky wanted it orchestrated. It is one of Schnittke's greatest compositions. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Cello Concerto No.2: sublime!.......2001-11-06

This recording of Cello Concerto No.2 is the first recording to come out of this amazing concerto. Written in 1990 Rostropovitch and Osawa are giving their best in 1992 to understand a complex work. Recent recording such as Ivashkin on Chandos may give a clearer vision of the work, although the jury is still out. However the 4th and 5th mvt in the Rostropovitch recording are haunted like nowhere else. This makes it a MUST have recording for Schnittke fans. I heard the piece performed in concert in January 2001 by Torleif Thedeen Cello, in London and this was superb too (check his BIS recording of it).

Today April 27, 2007 Rostropovich left us to join his best friends. I listened again to this recording and I wish to add to my 2001 review. I think the reason this performance might be a bit more difficult to apprehend at first is because of its incredible depth. Other recordings tend to simplify or brush off certain aspects and thus bring instant gratification. However, and without any doubt, Rostropovich/Osawa recording IS the definitive recording of this monumental piece. The clarity of the orchestration, the noble, steely yet deeply humane cello playing, the quality of recording and the organic music are unmatched. Listening to Slava in the Dvorak with Karajan was Slava's earthly journey, while the Schnittke concerto represnts where Slava now is.

This recording is a MUST listen for all.

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