classical, or a creature of its own?
This was my first exposure to Schnittke, and it (the Concerto Grosso on this album) was hypnotizing. It sounded less like most classical pieces I'd been familiar with, and more like an hour-long trip of experimental mood textures built up upon each other, then destroyed dramatically, others thrust down your throat before you had a chance to take a breath (this is one of those few experiences when I sometimes had to remember to breath .. Dylan Thomas being another). It sometimes has the mood impression of a piece of 'trance' music, is sometimes wistful, sometimes angry, other times whimsical .. it is very hard to turn off after the first 10-15 minutes. The references to other classical pieces are also fascinating .. it is amazing how different familiar passages can sound couched in such different surroundings. This is a fantastic recording, and one which has changed my expectations for new music (classical or otherwise) forever.