CHAN 9722 Front.qxd 25/7/07 3:07 pm Page 1 CHAN 9722 CHANDOS Schnittke (K)ein Sommernachtstraum Cello Concerto No. 2 Alexander Ivashkin cello Russian State Symphony Orchestra Valeri Polyansky CHAN 9722 BOOK.qxd 25/7/07 3:08 pm Page 2 Alfred Schnittke (1934–1998) Cello Concerto No. 2* 42:00 1 I Moderato – 3:20 2 II Allegro 9:34 3 III Lento – 8:26 4 IV Allegretto mino – 4:34 5 V Grave 16:05 6 10:37 Nigel LuckhurstNigel (K)ein Sommernachtstraum (Not) A Midsummer Night’s Dream TT 52:50 Alexander Ivashkin cello* Russian State Symphony Orchestra Valeri Polyansky Alfred Schnittke 3 CHAN 9722 BOOK.qxd 25/7/07 3:08 pm Page 4 us to a point where nothing is single-faced ‘Greeting Rondo’ with elements from the First Alfred Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 2/(K)ein Sommernachtstraum and everything is doubtful and double-folded. Symphony creeping into it; one can hear all The fourth movement is a new and last the sharp polystylistic shocking contrasts outburst of activity, of confrontation between similar to Schnittke’s First Symphony in The Second Cello Concerto (1990) is one of different phases and changes as if through a hero (the soloist) and a mob (the orchestra). condensed form here. (K)ein Sommernachts- Schnittke’s largest compositions. The musical different ages. The first subject is excessively Again, two typical elements are juxtaposed traum, written just before the composer’s fatal palate of the Concerto is far from simple, and active and turbulent, the second more here with almost cinematographical clarity: illness began to hound him, is one of his last the cello part is fiendishly difficult. Written for contemplative, with an almost hidden element mazurka-like agressive tread and an unreal, joyful and happy works, before dramatic Mstislav Rostropovich, the solo part is of a strange Viennese waltz à la Alban Berg. misty waltz. Finally, everything is wiped out by changes in his style occured in the late 1980s truly revolutionary, exploring the very extremes The recapitulation brings us back to the the hurricane of the last tutti. The cello and early 1990s. of the instrument. The Concerto is in five disquieting mood of the first subject, but an cadenza brings us to the final movement, a (K)ein Sommernachtstraum was first movements – a typical pattern for Schnittke’s orchestral tutti enchances this turbulence to a slow, long and dark passacaglia, which is one- performed at the Salzburg Festival in August compositions dating from the late 1980s degree of a real disaster. Soon we hear also third of the length of the entire Concerto. 1985. The composer was not present as he and early 1990s – with a short, slow the tune from the very beginning of the The main tune of the passacaglia is taken was in hospital following his first severe introduction, long fast movement, a more Concerto, but it is hardly recognizable, as it from Schnittke’s own film music written for stroke, which occured in July 1985, at a resort lyrical and mystical slow movement, a shorter appears in an active, malicious marching The Agony (1974). This film, about the last on Black Sea. and faster fourth movement (compared with motion – far from its passionate and personal days of the Russian Empire before the 1917 The obvious pun in the title of this work, the second one) and then a coda-like, long image at the beginning of the first movement. revolution, was officially banned in the Soviet (‘Kein’ means ‘not’ in German) indicates the finale. The second movement breaks off, rather than Union until 1981, when it was shown for the character of this work: something between a As is the case with most of Schnittke’s being finished properly: it disappears like a first time with great success. Of course, in the dream and reality, not quite clear. Schnittke concertos, this one is in fact a symphony- haunting hallucination. Cello Concerto, Schnittke creates a completely had been asked to write a new piece to be concerto, with the orchestra playing a very The very slow third movement creates a new score, absolutely innovative in its density performed in Salzburg in a programme along important role. The soloist is competing not special ‘unreal’, mystical mood, full of and its expression. Particularly impressive is with German composer Aribert Reimann’s only with the huge orchestra as a whole, but is ephemeral illusions and ghostly timbres. The the last section, where the soloist, playing opera King Lear. Perhaps because of this, the also fighting different orchestral groups and symbolical idea of a hero and his ‘shadow’ is fortissimo in a very high register, is completely Festival administration asked Schnittke to the soloists of the orchestra. In the first typical of Schnittke from his Second Violin inaudible and practically ‘killed’ by the compose something ‘related to Shakespeare’. movement the soloist’s passionate and bitter Concerto onwards, where the dualism of massive, brutal orchestra. However, Schnittke’s own subtitle of the piece opening is immediately suppressed and violinist-soloist and its ‘shadow’ (solo double The orchestral piece (K)ein says ‘Not after Shakespeare’. covered by cruel orchestral chords. bass) represented the opposition of God and Sommernachtstraum is based on a piece All the events in this overture are shown The second movement introduces a long the Devil. Instrumental ‘dualism’ in the Second composed by Schnittke in 1974: Greeting from different points of view. There is a sweet and difficult fight, a kind of ‘hellish’ perpetuum Cello Concerto (solo cello – doublebass; solo Rondo for violin and piano. As the composer and innocent melody à la Mozart at the mobile, where the soloist is driven through cello – vibraphone; solo cello – bells) brings explained, his (K)ein Sommernachtstraum is a beginning, played by the musician on the 4 5 CHAN 9722 BOOK.qxd 25/7/07 3:08 pm Page 6 back desk of the second violins. The flavour of Ozawa, Mstislav Rostropovich, Gennady Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Japan became Artistic Director and Principal Conductor early Schubert-like Romanticism (violin and Rozhdestvensky, Janos Fürst and Alexander and Taiwan. of the Russian State Symphonic Cappella and piano) is accompanied by a Baroque ‘shadow’ Lazarev. He is one of three Russians for whom Russian State Symphony Orchestra. (the same melody, played by flute and Schnittke wrote his cello works. He is a regular After graduating from the Moscow State Valeri Polyansky has wide connections with harpsichord). The rather superficial simplicity guest at major music festivals in Europe, Conservatoire, Valeri Polyansky attended a other leading Russian and international of the beginning in C major is deceptive: there Russia, the USA and Australia, and has postgraduate course in opera and symphonic symphony orchestras; he has conducted the are hints of distant shadows and different collaborated with composers such as John conducting, where he studied with Gennady State Chamber Orchestra of Belorussia, the dimensions in it. Cage, George Crumb, Mauricio Kagel, Krzysztof Rozhdestvensky. Helsinki Symphony Orchestra and the Taipei Indeed, all the phrases in this ‘rondo’ follow Penderecki, Sofia Gubaidulina, Edison Denisov Valeri Polyansky began his professional Symphony Orchestra. He was involved with a ‘Shakespearean’ patterns, playing with tragic and Giya Kancheli. career conducting at the Moscow Operetta production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at and with humorous symbols at the same time. Alexander Ivashkin has made numerous Theatre and at the Bolshoi Theatre. During this the Göteborg Music Theatre in Sweden and in A real storm is not coming, but sometimes we award-winning and highly acclaimed time he also worked with all the leading 1993 was Principal Conductor at the hear thunder nearby. Polyphonic lines become recordings. He is Artisic Director of the symphony orchestras of Moscow. In 1992 he Göteborg Festival. polystylistic ones; thematic ‘canons’ and Australasian International Cello Festival/ imitations are growing fast, like a tumour, and Competition, and of the International even the main tune itself changes dramatically, Canterbury Chamber Music Festival. reminding us of a banal march. On the brink of disaster everything is stopped by a The Russian State Symphony Orchestra, or diminished chord, played by the whole Soviet Philharmonic Orchestra as it was orchestra in unison, a familiar herald of originally called, was formed by the conductor changes in early-Romantic music. And, indeed, Gennady Rozhdestvensky. It has made all ghosts dissapear. The Mozart-like tune is numerous concert tours throughout Russia, shining again in a clear C major. Europe, the USA and Japan and has performed alongside many world-famous musicians and © 1999 Alexander Ivashkin conductors including Yehudi Menuhin, Nikolai Petrov, Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov and Alexander Ivashkin has established an Zubin Mehta. international reputation both as an Since 1992 the orchestra has been interpreter of the standard repertoire and as a conducted by Valeri Polyansky and has given champion of contemporary music. He has innumerable concerts together with the performed in over thirty countries playing Russian State Symphonic Cappella. In that under conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Seiji same year the Orchestra toured the USA, 6 7 CHAN 9722 BOOK.qxd 25/7/07 3:08 pm Page 8 wird von Schnittke ab seinem Zweiten gezeigt wurde. Für das Cellokonzert schrieb Alfred Schnittke: Cellokonzert Nr. 2/(K)ein Sommernachtstraum Violinkonzert, in dem der Dualismus zwischen Schnittke natürlich eine völlig neue Partitur,