Has anyone here listened to the film music of Russian composer Alfred Schnittke? If so, what are your thoughts?
I just picked up the 4CD Frank Strobel re-recording collection on Amazon after watching The Ascent, and have to say that this is some absolutely incredible music! Rich, thematic orchestral stuff that, depending on the film, can go from sweeping and majestic to dissonant and nightmarish! I understand that he's a pretty big name on the list of more recent Russian classical composers; but, judging by the amount of stuff I could find about his film work online, I'd say that it's about time a couple more people who have heard these scores started speaking up! I'll talk a little bit about my favorite scores of his that I've heard so far!
THE FAIRYTALE OF THE WANDERINGS This is some absolutely beautiful music yo -- a swirling, regal, bombastic fantasy adventure score that rivals some of the best in the genre. The main theme carries through the score in a load of different arrangements and variations; and there are bunch of great score sequences that have unusual instrumentation (an instrument that sounds similar to a theremin gets a couple of great features) -- some sweet freakin' waltzes and dance music, a couple of cues that sound like (or perhaps are) Russian folk song arrangements, wonderful action sequences, and one or two tormented cues of suspense and sorrow that all add up to make probably one of the best fantasy scores I've heard in a while. For anyone who's been digging Return to Oz, this is for sure up your alley! 45 minutes of the 72 minute score was was re-recorded for the CD.
THE ASCENT This is a pretty short work in comparison to some of his other scores (a 15 minute suite); but it's really really wonderful music that gets to me every time I hear it. The opening track -- Sotnikov's Death -- is a harrowing 7-minute cue that starts quiet, and builds and builds into a growling, turbulent cacophony of avant-garde orchestral madness -- underneath all of which are glimpses of one of the most moving pieces of music I've heard in a long time -- the main theme! Which immediately gets a poignant arrangement in the following track -- On The Sled! After the Finale (titled Remorse), it really does feel like you've gone through hell and back. Really top notch stuff yo!
THE COMMISSAR Don't have quite as much to say about this one yet (it's pretty dense for film music; and I'll have to give it a couple more listens before saying more)! What I can say is that it has some absolutely beautiful tunes. The main theme sounds like it belongs in the company of some of the less chirpy, more grandiose Christmas hymns with it's quasi-religious overtones (there's a section for solo church organ!); and the journey the music (and the film) takes you on is really something special.
And those are just 3 of a whopping 13 scores of his included on the Frank Strobel compilation... I haven't even touched on The Glass Harmonica, or Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, or The Story of an Unknown Actor... this whole collection is just gold man I'm telling you wonderful music and the performances, the sound quality, all wonderful. Up there with Tadlow as far as the quality of the re-recording is concerned (to my ears, anyway!).
Anyone else listened to Alfred Schnittke's film music? Any recommendations for anything outside the re-recordings that might be available for purchase?
I really love this music man -- enough to motivate me into creating this post in the first place; something I do not regularly do! I highly recommend anyone who, like me, hadn't even heard of him until recently, take a listen and share your thoughts!
Yes, I've got this set, too, but nothing else of his beyond that though.
I didn't really know anything about Schnittke's music before buying it, and was half expecting what might be called "difficult listening". And while there are a few tracks like that, the whole is really varied and – as you said – there's some lovely lyrical stuff too. I rather like the faux-baroque pieces, though can't remember offhand exactly which film(s) had those – Adventures of a Dentist, I think...?
Would certainly recommend it to members here who are unfamiliar with this composer; I picked up my copy for £12.59 so for a 4-disc set that's not to be sniffed at.
I also recently picked it up, very cheaply as you said, and it is superb - a great deal of variety in the scores, some superb symphonic music that indeed ranges from quite challenging to beautifully lyrical.
It's the only recordings I have by him, but I note there are a few other cd releases out there with some different scores on.
Hopefully others will chime in with their opinions on these other cd's.
Schnittke is wonderful. I bought this set when it came out precisely because The Ascent was included which is one of my fave Soviet Films- Larisa Shepitko was a genius taken from us far too soon.
It's the only recordings I have by him, but I note there are a few other cd releases out there with some different scores on.
You're right -- I did a bit more digging, and found a fifth Frank Strobel re-recording CD that might as well be Vol. 5 of this collection! Includes Schnittke's scores for My Past & Thoughts, Agony (!!), The End of St. Petersburg, and The Master & Margarita (!!!). I'll be picking it up real soon to share some more thoughts, but have been listening to the music from these scores on YouTube in the meantime; and it's really wonderful!
I adore Schnittke's film music, and his concert music especially — but I'm firmly of the opinion that his concert music can't really be fully understood without the context of his film scores and other assorted "lighter" works (in quotes because they are not really lighter in any sense of the word). That fifth Strobel disc is well worth getting just for Agony, which is an astonishingly good score.
One excellent animation score that hasn't been re-recorded yet is for Lev Atamonov's BALLERINA ON A BOAT (1969). Basically an animated ballet where all the sound is created in the music. The only version currently available has lackluster sound, so I hope it gets a restoration or re-recording at some point. Would also be great for orchestras to program with screenings!
This video of a performance of Schnittke's score to the 1984 miniseries DEAD SOULS is as fun to watch as it is to listen to. It's arranged and conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky, who obviously understands Schnittke inside and out:
There are some other scattered film music CDs or other albums that contain film music suites. The out-of-print Olympia CD that contains the original recordings of Story of the Unknown Actor, Agony, Sport Sport Sport, and Music for an Imaginary Play is pretty good even if the sound quality as with most Soviet-era film music OSTs is pretty bad. But Imaginary Play is great, twisted fun, and while the Strobel recordings are great, in my opinion the original performance of Sport, Sport, Sport can't really be beat (it's that same sort of issue you get with Nino Rota and Morricone re-recordings, where the original musicians had such a distinctive sound that later performances sound a bit off): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2hCjNsx_0w
There's also a Russian compilation CD that has the same problems as the Olympia, except the sound quality for the most part is possibly even worse. But it also contains some pieces you can't get anywhere else. Here's some information about it in Russian (no purchasing links, I think it's out of print): http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/2178071/?item=1922642
My favorite discovery on that compilation was his score for the 1974 romantic drama AUTUMN (excellent film, too, which you can watch legally on YouTube with English captioning). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwYIg2l71Nc
Some highlights from that score: 2:52 - jaunty, upbeat rock-inspired title cue that almost sounds like something out of a Jerry Goldsmith score for a Joe Dante film 45:40 - beautiful performance of the main love theme, which is mournful and almost spiritual-sounding (this part of the movie is NSFW!) 1:08:16 - amazing choral rendition of the same theme, so it sounds full-on religious now (this cue is sadly not on the compilation)
People interested in Schnittke's film score should also have a listen to the Gogol Suite (aka The Census List) which is very much in the same vein: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiddtTQYIfM
And I would hate to leave this thread without also drawing attention to this astonishing performance of the climactic moment from his Faust Cantata. Schnittke wrote the main part for a singer who could do opera, rock and cabaret style equally well and Iva Bittova is just about the only singer alive who could do it. Unfortunately this full performance is not available, though the recording on BIS is definitely serviceable.
Bumping this thread for anyone who (like me) didn't realize that there was a 5th volume of the Frank Strobel re-recording series back in 2021! This release has scores from The Stars of The Day, The Favorite and Father Sergius. Picked it up a few days ago and have been listening non stop -- all three of these newly released recordings are GREAT. HIGHLY recommended
Bumping this thread for anyone who (like me) didn't realize that there was a 5th volume of the Frank Strobel re-recording series back in 2021! This release has scores from The Stars of The Day, The Favorite and Father Sergius. Picked it up a few days ago and have been listening non stop -- all three of these newly released recordings are GREAT. HIGHLY recommended
