Schnittke: Concerto for Choir/Requiem

Track Listings

1. Con: O Master Of All Living

2. Con: I, An Expert In Human Passions

3. Con: God Grant Deliverance From Sin

4. Con: Complete This Work

5. Requiem: I. Requiem

6. Requiem: II. Kyrie - Martina Kritznerova/Jana Sovakova/Darina Gltazova

7. Requiem: III. Dies Irae

8. Requiem: IV. Tuba Mirum

9. Requiem: V. Rex Tremendae

10. Requiem: VI. Recordare

11. Requiem: VII. Lacrimosa - Martina Kritznerova/Marie Smaterova

12. Requiem: VIII. Domine Jesu

13. Requiem: IX. Hostias

14. Requiem: X. Sanctus - Martina Kritznerova/Petr Klima

15. Requiem: XI. Benedictus

16. Requiem: XII. Agnus Dei

17. Requiem: XIII. Credo

18. Requiem: XIV. Requiem

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Alfred Schnittke's work always is fresh and challenging, even when it seems also willfully obscure. This disc presents two of the Russian composer's best works in excellent performances by a fine chorus whose Slavic timbres fit the sense of rootedness in the soil of Europe's east that pervades both pieces. The Concerto for Choir is a four-movement work for a cappella mixed chorus, set to a religious text. Each movement has its own character, and each is full of fetching colors and rhythmic drive. Also, each has unforgettable moments, such as the second movement's soprano melody, which floats above a chant-like ostinato; or the echo effect of the final Amen, the men singing slightly behind the women. The Requiem is, if anything, even more compelling, bursting with originality, as well as homages to Stravinsky (the "Kyrie" is straight out of Les Noces) and Prokofiev (Alexander Nevsky's fingerprints are all over the "Tuba mirum"). The chorus is joined here by a small, percussion-laden orchestra, which contributes to the power of the work, as in the militant "Credo," whose piercing brass and powerful drums make for the most exciting Requiem this side of Verdi. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Strings
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Requiem
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Kyrie
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Dies Irae
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Tuba Mirum
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Rex tremendae
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Recordare
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Lacrymosa
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Domine Jesu
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Hositias
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Sanctus
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Benedictus
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Agnus Dei
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Credo
Requiem From The Music To Schiller's Drama Don Carlos: Requiem

Customer Reviews:

Requiem/Great work/great performance........2007-03-21

Polyansky is one of the best conductors in Schnittke, though obviously there's not much competition, so few multipile recordings. No matter how few, as long as we get one outstanding as this one.
The Requiem is dark and ominious, which is typical of Schnittke, 'the depths" is what he is after. Profiund genius of a man and composer, shows clearly in this Requiem. The words selected by Schnittke are ancient prayers from old sources, and deal with end times of God's dealings with man. Its so apt for todays times. Which confirm my opinion that both Schnittke and Pettersson were convicted in the conscience by the "warp and woof' of this spinning earth and its tragic consequences if continued at such a pace.
Of course the humanists/atheists call such ideas 'fluff and snuff". Which is why Schnittke's music strikes much greater at those with soul.

Five for the Requiem.......2005-12-29

I also have the BIS recording, and have heard one other. This is by a moderate margin the best as far as interpretation (though it feels just a tad slow in spots) and is definitely the best in sound quality.

(The BIS one seems somewhat flat on the sound recording/engineering, even more so than seems to be somewhat regular with that label.)

Great music, great performance.......2004-10-15

These are some of my favourite pieces by Schnittke, and they are treated well in this recording. It is difficult to imagine a better performance of the Requiem, and the Concerto is also nicely handled (though the recorded sound gets a tad muddled in places).
These are some rigorous, but relatively approachable, late 20th century pieces that are very moving, deeply expressive.
Highly recommended.

Polyansky great again. Khudolei dismal, unimaginative.......2003-02-22

Great interpretation of the Requiem by Polyansky! That alone is worth owning this CD.
However the fantastic concerto for piano & strings is a write off! Khudolei is an unimaginative pianist, did not even bother to follow Schnittke's precise score. His heavyhanded playing went against the grain of this piece and he managed to make the orchestra and Polyansky become a bad accompanist!
One would think Chandos could afford a good pianist!
The best recording of this piece is pianist Victoria Postnikova on Erato if you can find it!

Average customer rating:

An amazing work!

Schnittke: Concerto for choir; Requiem

Manufacturer: Classico
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005BI3Y
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Customer Reviews:

An amazing work!.......2002-01-14

Few of us have ever heard this work and fewer in performance. I was fortunate enough to participate in a performance of just the first movement and it is a real kick!

I am grateful for this recording and though the performance isn't bad, I think it doesn't have the majesty, mystery, and power that the work really requires to make its statements. Maybe it needed to be recorded in a cathedral rather than a studio. The group certainly seems to have the skill to pull it off.

Well, I don't want to quibble. Listen to this work! And then imagine it performed more Russian and with more mystery and I think you would have it.

Tracks:

Con: O Master Of All Living
Con: I, An Expert In Human Passions
Con: God Grant Deliverance From Sin
Con: Complete This Work
Requiem: I. Requiem
Requiem: II. Kyrie - Martina Kritznerova/Jana Sovakova/Darina Gltazova
Requiem: III. Dies Irae
Requiem: IV. Tuba Mirum
Requiem: V. Rex Tremendae
Requiem: VI. Recordare
Requiem: VII. Lacrimosa - Martina Kritznerova/Marie Smaterova
Requiem: VIII. Domine Jesu
Requiem: IX. Hostias
Requiem: X. Sanctus - Martina Kritznerova/Petr Klima
Requiem: XI. Benedictus
Requiem: XII. Agnus Dei
Requiem: XIII. Credo
Requiem: XIV. Requiem

Amazon.com

Alfred Schnittke's work always is fresh and challenging, even when it seems also willfully obscure. This disc presents two of the Russian composer's best works in excellent performances by a fine chorus whose Slavic timbres fit the sense of rootedness in the soil of Europe's east that pervades both pieces. The Concerto for Choir is a four-movement work for a cappella mixed chorus, set to a religious text. Each movement has its own character, and each is full of fetching colors and rhythmic drive. Also, each has unforgettable moments, such as the second movement's soprano melody, which floats above a chant-like ostinato; or the echo effect of the final Amen, the men singing slightly behind the women. The Requiem is, if anything, even more compelling, bursting with originality, as well as homages to Stravinsky (the "Kyrie" is straight out of Les Noces) and Prokofiev (Alexander Nevsky's fingerprints are all over the "Tuba mirum"). The chorus is joined here by a small, percussion-laden orchestra, which contributes to the power of the work, as in the militant "Credo," whose piercing brass and powerful drums make for the most exciting Requiem this side of Verdi. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Two remarkable choral works.......2001-01-21

Alfred Schnittke was among the most original composers of the twentieth century. This recording by the Prague Philarmonic Choir presents two substantial works for choir, each one a masterpiece in its own way as well as exemplifying the composer's distinctive style.

As a strong choral music enthusiast, I find the "Concerto for Choir" to be unlike anything I've heard before - whilst being like a lot of things I have heard before. This seems a paradoxical way to explain the piece, but it is the only way that seems right. In that it sets sacred Russian texts to lush, dramatic choral textures, it is like any number of widely-acclaimed choral masterworks (an example being Rachmaninov's "All Night Vigil"). However, nothing in it can be expected or anticipated: the chorus is unaccompanied throughout, thus the "concerto" element is created by exploring a large number of virtuosic vocal displays, as well as by following a strict form with repeating elements, just like a traditional concerto for instruments. The range required by the voices takes them to their respective limits (the high sopranos produce passionate high Cs whilst the basses descend frequently to infernal Ds); as is typical of Schnittke, the work also includes dense note clusters, produced by dividing the choir into a total of sixteen parts. Sometimes, members of the choir provide an accompaniment to others (there are also fleeting but memorable passages for actual soloists); in the main, a rich mixture of tonal and atonal idioms are presented through polyphonic effects not dissimilar to those used by Renaissance composers or more recent composers of sacred music such as John Tavener. Schnittke approaches the texts (varied texts of praise and lamentation) in a seemingly liberal way: in places, the music simply projects the words, whilst in others the words spawn musical settings that are striking and moving all at once. In short, this is a very special kind of musical work - part concert work, part sacred work; part innovation in a familiar genre, part rehashing of traditional choral ideas; part expression of uncompromising faith, part setting of sacred texts for aesthetic value. Under Jaroslav Brych, the Prague Philarmonic Choir does it full justice. Well worth the price of the disc, although on listening to it, I have to say I would probably enjoy it more if it were performed in front of me (or else I were performing in it myself)...

The "Requiem" shares a few traits with the "Concerto," albeit the effect is more dramatic, even shocking. The choir is joined by a bizzare orchestra consisting predominantly of percussion instruments, with various brass instruments, piano and organ alongside. Again, there are aspects of this music that appear familiar and unfamiliar: the treatment of the "Dies irae" sequence receives much attention by the composer, with shrieking brass, apocalyptic organ noises and heavy banging on the percussion; there are also very disturbing moments in which the chorus chants the words tonelessly or else sings them with awesome power. The quieter sections ("Lacrymosa" in particular) are haunting, making use of vocal soloists and extremely subtle instrumental writing. Musically, there is a great deal more variety evident in this work than in the "Concerto," and a great deal more control is needed from the performers - this is just as well-achieved.

The liner notes provide excellent commentary on the music, which amounts to a full hour's worth of listening.

Fans of Schnittke looking for one or both of these very important oeuvres should choose this one without hesitation; as far as I can tell, it represents best value for money (as opposed to the two Chandos recordings of the "Concerto," one of which is a stand-alone and the other of which is coupled with another work). If you're curious, this is worth a try, although the "Concerto" is on the whole more digestible in one sitting than the "Requiem."

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Live in Santa Monica 1975 [Live] [Original recording remastered]

Piano Music Of Percy Grainger

Shake 'Em on Down [Enhanced]

Jazz Lab, Vols. 1-2 [Import]

Silk Degrees [Original recording remastered] [Import]

One Night Stand [CD-single] [Import]

The Complete Doris Day with Les Brown

Schumann: Violin Concertos in D and A minor

Rough Diamonds [Import]

More Study in Brown

Some Girls Wander By Mistake [Import]

Minha Historia

Memoria del Cantar Popular [Import]

God & I

When The Clock Strikes 12

1. Con: O Master Of All Living
2. Con: I, An Expert In Human Passions
3. Con: God Grant Deliverance From Sin
4. Con: Complete This Work
5. Requiem: I. Requiem
6. Requiem: II. Kyrie - Martina Kritznerova/Jana Sovakova/Darina Gltazova
7. Requiem: III. Dies Irae
8. Requiem: IV. Tuba Mirum
9. Requiem: V. Rex Tremendae
10. Requiem: VI. Recordare
11. Requiem: VII. Lacrimosa - Martina Kritznerova/Marie Smaterova
12. Requiem: VIII. Domine Jesu
13. Requiem: IX. Hostias
14. Requiem: X. Sanctus - Martina Kritznerova/Petr Klima
15. Requiem: XI. Benedictus
16. Requiem: XII. Agnus Dei
17. Requiem: XIII. Credo
18. Requiem: XIV. Requiem