Alfred Schnittke

Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) was a Soviet and later German-based composer, born in Engels on the Volga. He is known for polystylism, a way of writing that sets music of different periods and styles side by side within one piece, heard in his First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso. His output includes nine symphonies, concertos, chamber music and choral works. Alfred Schnittke moved with his family to Moscow in 1948 and taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1962 to 1972. His Concerto Grosso No. 1 dates from 1977.