Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (Russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Soviet and German composer.
Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (Russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Soviet and German composer.
Schnittke’s to the fore music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic Symphony No. 1 (1969–1972) and his first concerto grosso (1977). In the 1980s, Schnittke’s music began to become more widely known abroad subsequent to the publication of his second (1980) and third (1983) string quartets and the String Trio (1985); the ballet Peer Gynt (1985–1987); the third (1981), fourth (1984), and fifth (1988) symphonies; and the viola concerto (1985) and first cello concerto (1985–1986). As his health deteriorated, Schnittke’s music started to hand over much of the extroversion of his polystylism and retreated into a more withdrawn, bleak style.[citation needed]