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Alfred Schnittke's fourth Symphony was written in
1983. The outward reason for its creation was a commission from the French
Chamber Orchestra of Champigny under Paul Mefano. The inner causes which
define the character of this composition lie in the author's spiritual world,
his artistic, moral and philosophical credo ensuing from his previous creative
development.
"In my work I strive to find the general in the
dissimilar." said Schnittke in an interview after the premiere of the
Fourth Symphony. "In my Symphony I set myself a task of uniting
various cultural layers. I decided to stylize the ritual music of three
religions: Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. To realize my concept I
chose three intonation systems typical of ritual music of these
religions." Conceived as a musical drama symbolizing mankind's
spiritual unity, the fourth Symphony reveals a new cohesion of the composer's
artistic world.
A. Schnittke
(b. 1934)
Total Time - 46:12
The USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir
Artistic Director - Valeri Polyansky
Nikolai Dumtsev, tenor
Erik Kurmangaliev, countertenor
The USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Gennadi Rozhdestvensky