The Role of Alfred Schnittke's Viola Concerto in the Development of the Twentieth Century Viola Concerto

Abstract

The result of an artistic partnership between the composer and its dedicatee Yuri Bashmet, Alfred Schnittke’s Viola Concerto is one of the most representative contemporary viola concertos exemplifying the departure from conventional tonality and the development of a compositional language which impacts viola technique. The purpose of this study is to identify the significant role of Schnittke’s Viola Concerto in the development of the twentieth century viola concerto as well as to enable the performer to better execute and interpret the work. The discussion in this document is divided into four main chapters, consisting of an historical overview of the viola concerto before the twentieth century, an overview of Schnittke’s life and concerto composition, an examination of his Viola Concerto in context of previous twentieth century concertos, and a technical analysis of the concerto. The comparison of Schnittke’s Viola Concerto with the “significant three” viola concertos - William Walton’s Viola Concerto, Paul Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher and Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra - focuses on technical demands of the viola and orchestration.