The sketches for Alfred Schnittke’s Symphony no. 3, and what they (don’t) tell us?

Abstract

The analysis of Alfred Schnittke’s Symphony No. 3 that I present in this paper is based on my study of Schnittke’s sketches from the Juilliard Manuscripts Collection. The importance of these manuscripts, which (to my knowledge) are discussed in a peer reviewed publication for the first time, is twofold. On the one hand, the sketches make it possible to correct errors found in earlier analyses of this symphony; in particular, they provide plenty of information on Schnittke’s manipulation of thematic material and the overall constructive principles. On the other hand, although the sketches fail to broach a coherent narrative, they do hint at Schnittke’s hidden intentions and provide clues for an informed reading of this idiosyncratic work and its possible meanings. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON 177004: Serbian Musical Identities within Local and Global Frameworks: Traditions, Changes, Challenges]

Keywords

• Alfred Schnittke
• symphony
• Juilliard Manuscript Collection
• sketches
• catalogue
• polystylism
• monograms
• German music