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Alfred Schnittke

Alfred Garyevich Schnittke (Russian language: Альфред Шнитке, November 24, 1934 - August 3, 1998) was a Russian composer of classical music.

His father was born in Frankfurt to a Jewish family of Russian origin who had moved to the USSR in 1926, his mother was a Volga German born in Russia.

Alfred Schnittke was born in Engels in the Soviet Union. He began his musical education in 1946 in Vienna where his father, a journalist and translator, had been posted. In 1948 the family moved to Moscow. He lived part time there and in Hamburg while supporting himself as a composer of film scores. Schnittke converted to Christianity and possesed deeply held mystic beliefs which influenced his music.

In 1985, Schnittke suffered a stroke which left him in a coma. He was declared clinically dead on several occasions, but recovered and continued to compose. His health remained poor, however, and he suffered several more strokes before his death in 1998 in Hamburg.

In a number of pieces, Schnittke quotes or parodies other composers, and this combined with his "polystylism" (using a mixture of musical styles past and present in close proximity) has resulted in his work being seen as one musical manifestation of postmodernism. Among his better known works are a number of symphonies, several concerti grossi, chamber music including a piano quintet, and several operas including Life With an Idiot.

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Last updated: 11-06-2004 12:22:15