Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998)
Cello Sonata No.1 (1978) [21:23]
Suite in the Old Style (1972) [13:39]
Cello Sonata No.2 (1994) [17:03]
Musica Nostalgica (1992) [3:23]
Carl-Oscar Østerlind (cello), Emil Gryesten (piano)
rec. Johns’s Hall, Kirsten Kjærs Museum, Frøstrup, Denmark, 3-4, 29-30 December 2018, 11-12 February 2019
DANACORD DACOCD878 [55:32]
Alfred Schnittke is well-known for his polystylism. An example quoted in the 2011 Oxford Companion to Music gives a good idea of this musical concept. The Symphony No. 1 (1972) includes pastiches of Bach and Soviet marches, as well as quotations from Beethoven, Chopin, and Grieg. It also demands jazz improvisation in one section, and collective free improvisation in another. But this is not the full story of Schnittke’s musical development. Quotation gave way to pastiche and parody, blending into the music rather than being copied and pasted. Some of his later works, including the Cello Sonatas presented here, seem to have a greater unity of style than some of his other compositions.
I started with the Suite in the Old Style, written in 1972. It is a reworking of music from several film scores. For example, the Pastorale and Ballet movements are drawn from a 1965 comedy The Adventures of a Dentist. The Minuet and the final Pantomime are derived from children’s cartoons, and the Fugue featured in a 1971 documentary film Sport, Sport, Sport. (This is as stated in the liner notes; other permutations of these sources can be found elsewhere). I understand that the Suite was originally written for violin and piano but was arranged by the composer for cello and piano. A large proportion of this work is pure pastiche but, as the booklet suggests, Schnittke’s ‘powdered wig’ slips in the final movement. Here the 20th century ethos courts considerable dissonance. Finally, the Suite just seems to evaporate into thin air… It is an easily approachable example of Schnittke’s music, enthusiastically played here.
I appreciated the short Musica Nostalgica (1992), composed for Mstislav Rostropovich. The piece was an adaptation of the Minuet from the Suite in the Old Style. I was caught out by the solo cello introduction, reminiscent of a Bach solo cello suite. However, the piano soon arrived, and the work developed into something less predictable. The solo part initially seems to be straightforward in its Baroque mood, but Schnittke introduces technical devices designed to showcase Rostropovich’s technical prowess, including glissandi and ghostly harmonics.
The Cello Sonata No. 1 (1978) is depressing and sometimes scary. It lacks the eclecticism that Schnittke is noted for. The Sonata is in three movements, slow-fast-slow. The highlight of this piece is the ‘motoric’ scherzo played presto. It is a warhorse for cellist and pianist. I am not sure that this compensates for the sense of stasis and unrelenting melancholy of the opening and closing movements. I cannot say I enjoyed this Sonata, but I can hear that it is an important composition. Along with the Suite in the Old Style, it remains Schnittke’s most popular work, on record and in the recital room.
Finally, I turned to the Cello Sonata No. 2. Once again, this music is dark, melancholy and largely dispiriting. The entire piece seems to me to be episodic: the five movements barely have time to develop. These alternate slow and fast tempi. The piano accompaniment, which at times appears minimal, seems like an afterthought. This Sonata was one of the last works that Alfred Schnittke composed.
The liner notes are helpful in placing all this music in context. My only complaint about this release is that the duration is a wee bit mean. Schnittke’s catalogue has other cello pieces that could have been included: the equally gloomy Klingende Buchstaben and Improvisation, both for solo cello.
It will be clear to readers that I am not enthusiastic about the two cello sonatas. Life can be bleak at times (especially in this COVID-19 year), but I do look for some glimmer of optimism in my musical explorations, and sadly find virtually none here. Like Gary Higginson in his 2003 review, I feel that my lack of understanding is causing me to miss something of greatness in this inward-looking and totally depressing music.
I have no doubt Carl-Oscar Østerlind and Emil Gryesten play these Sonatas brilliantly, notably in the whirlwind presto of the first Cello Sonata. Like this music or not, this is clearly a masterclass in performance. I am sure that Schnittke enthusiasts will find this CD an essential addition to their collection.
John France
