978 1 0716 3942 9

Alfred Schnittke - Concerto Grosso No. 1 & Symphony No. 9 (2009) {BIS Schnittke Edition, BIS-1727} (Item #25)
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© 2009 BIS Records AB | BIS-CD-1727
Classical / Contemporary Classical / 20th Century

The first disc dedicated to the works of Alfred Schnittke on BIS was released in 1987, and has since been followed by 23 other titles, including a large part of his chamber music as well as the symphonies and other orchestral works. That first disc featured Concerto grosso No.1 in the original version for two violins and strings – the work which to some extent became Schnittke’s breakthrough in the West in the late 1970s. On the present disc that same work is heard again, but now in a world première recording of Schnittke’s own version with solo parts for flute and oboe. Soloists are Sharon Bezaly and, on the oboe, Christopher Cowie , making his first appearance on BIS. They are supported by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, a team that collaborated already on the most recent Schnittke title in the BIS catalogue.

Rothberg is one of the (few) post-Alanis women whose stance is more complicated than outraged one minute, cautiously loving the next. Her songs about relationships are complicated and often ambiguous, and she is equally unflinching in her descriptions of the successes and failures she has witnessed. Strongly rooted in the singer/songwriter aesthetic of one woman and her guitar, the songs on Between the 1 and the 9 are fleshed out a bit with other instruments but retain their edge. The biggest surprise here is in the maturity of her voice, which gives the songs their immediacy and intimacy.