Album Notes

A. Schnittke finished Symphony 1 in 1974. It was premiered in Gorky on
February 9 of the same year. He wrote: "While composing the symphony for four years, I simultaneously worked on the music to M. Romm's film 'I Believe...'. Together with the shooting crew I looked through thousands of meters of documentary film. Gradually they formed in my mind a seemingly chaotic but inwardly orderly chronicle of the 20th century. The Symphony has no program. However, if the tragic and wonderful chronicle of our time had not been imprinted on my consciousness, I would not have written this music..." Thus, from the point of view of its civic-mindedness and patriotism, Schnittke in his composition upholds the best traditions of Shostakovich - the great chronicler of our epoch.
Alfred Schnittke's works are truly innovative because he knows well and deeply loves great classical heritage - this becomes perfectly clear when reading any of his scores. Symphony 1 is considered to be a work of superior quality.


A. Schnittke
Symphony No. 1

Senza Tempo. Moderato
Allegretto
Lento
Lento. Allegro

Total Time - 64:51

Jazz Improvisations:
violin - Paul Magi
trumpet - Victor Guseinov
Solos:
flute - Irina Lozben
trumpet - Vladimir Pushkarev
trombone - Rashit Galeyev
timpani - Sergei Soloviev
organ - Tatiana Fridlyand
The USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
conductor - Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

Cover Painting, Hieronymus Bosch - Last Judgment Triptych (central panel)
Cover Design by Peter Alan Baumann