Alfred Schnittke's Concerto No. 3 for Violin and Chamber Orchestra is a good example of the compositional style he calls polystylisticism. Schnittke conceives of polystylisticism as an ongoing dialogue between the composer's inner music and stylistic undercurrents from the surrounding world. This concerto was originally named Canticum canticorum (Song of Songs), and the music takes some cues from that discarded title; it also features references to Russian Orthodox chant and German Romantic music. Yet Schnittke makes all these influences his own as he works them in and around his own music, making for intriguing combinations. The concerto is scored for chamber orchestra, but the winds and brass dominate throughout the work, with the upper strings getting virtually no work at all. The first movement, marked Moderato, starts off with a long, tremolo-laden violin cadenza that shows the most obvious influence of the work's original title. The violin then plays repeated, gradually shifting melodies with punctuation from the winds, before moving into a chorale derived from Russian Orthodox chant. An Agitato second movement temporarily speeds up the tempo, and shows Schnittke's interest in the tone-colors the solo violin can produce. The third movement, marked Andante, begins with music on the horns so reminiscent of Schubert and Mahler that Schnittke specifically denies quoting either of those two composers. This music recurs throughout the movement, as the violin slips into and out of harmony with it. This is the most lyrical of the three movements, with the lower strings frequently acting as a sonic floor, atop which the violin plays very quiet, moving melodies. The movement ends on another melody reminiscent of Russian Orthodox chant, which seems to promise some sort of peace. Schnittke's ingenious adaptation of diverse influences to his own ends gives this piece much interest.



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