Alfred Schnittke, the composer, was born in Russia to a mother of Volga German descent and a father who was a Jewish journalist, leading to a complex identity.
Composer Biography
Schnittke was considered a musical dissident in the Soviet Union, with his works often performed in 'underground' concerts that attracted large audiences.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schnittke's polystylism aimed to give his music 'a richer associative content' by allowing historical musical idioms to speak, rather than being a mere eclectic game.
Performer Biography
AdAstra Piano Trio is the first Polish ensemble, and one of few globally, to record Henry Cowell's Trio in Nine Short Movements and Pēteris Vasks' Episodi e Canto perpetuo.
Performer Biography
The AdAstra Piano Trio consists of violinist Anna Szabelka, cellist Łukasz Frant (principal cellist of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra), and pianist Joanna Galon-Frant.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schnittke became a prominent representative of 'polystylism,' a method where composers consciously plan effects by clashing music from different times or subtly alluding to historical styles.
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