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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