Matt Haimovitz, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra & Dennis Russell Davies - Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 1 (2025)

Cellist Matt Haimovitz, together with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dennis Russell Davies, continues to spotlight rarely heard and powerful cello concerti, brought to life through dynamic recordings. Following the acclaimed release of Thomas de Hartmann’s Cello Concerto, the series now presents a landmark work of 20th-century music—Alfred Schnittke’s Cello Concerto No. 1, a deeply personal and transformative work born from the composer’s near-death experience.

Commissioned for legendary cellist Natalia Gutman and written in 1985 after surviving a stroke, this groundbreaking concerto captures the raw intensity of life, death, and rebirth. Schnittke blends the emotional gravity of Shostakovich with haunting echoes of Brahms and Bach. Harpsichord, amplified cello, gripping cadenzas and bold orchestration create a striking soundscape that bridges the baroque and the modern. Opening with a fog-like atmosphere and quoting Brahms’ Sonata Op. 38, the work quickly spirals in emotional intensity, with the solo cello confronting and engaging a rich orchestral backdrop. This piece was originally conceived as a three-movement concerto; a fourth movement was added by Schnittke after awakening from a coma, forming a deeply spiritual conclusion.

This EP, as part of the ongoing collaboration between PENTATONE and Oxingale, captures the concerto’s full emotional arc—from anguish to irony to transcendence and reaffirms the work’s status as a vital contribution to the cello repertoire. With a finale that soars with life-affirming brilliance, Schnittke’s Cello Concerto is an anthem for our time.

TRACKLIST

1. Matt Haimovitz, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra & Dennis Russell Davies - Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 1: I. Pesante. Moderato
2. Matt Haimovitz, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra & Dennis Russell Davies - Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 1: II. Largo
3. Matt Haimovitz, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra & Dennis Russell Davies - Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 1: III. Allegro vivace
4. Matt Haimovitz, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra & Dennis Russell Davies - Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 1: IV. Largo