Schnittke, Alfred - Film Music, Vol. 4

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ALFRED SCHNITTKE's work as a soundtrack composer - this fact is known to everyone acquainted with Schnittke's oeuvre. Nevertheless, not many have knowledge of the fact that between 1961 and 1984 he composed as many as 60 soundtracks. His polystilistic arrangements were perfectly suited for movies. Schnittke was, as well as many of his colleagues, bound to Sovjet Union's artistic restraints, which made rehearsing a difficult matter; though, much of his substistence came from this job in the film industry. Composing soundtracks was for Schnittke the means of expression of his artistic views, and thus he can be named in a line with Shostakowitch, Prokofiev and Chatchaturian. Since many years Schmittke's Widow Irina, publisher Hans Sikorski and director and soundtrack expert Frank Strobel devote themselves to the composer's hand-written scores. A great number of these have already been gathered and taken from Moscow archives to Germany. Schnittke was desirous of giving life to his compositions in a concert hall. With Frank Strobel it was possible to meet Schmittkes desire; a number of concert suites have already been collected and arranged for this purpose. The present SACD is the fourth album out of a series of soundtracks by Schnittke to be released by Capriccio.