Dresdner Philharmonie & Dennis Russell Davies - Alfred Schnittke: Symphony No. 9; Alexander Raskatov: Nunc dimittis

World premiere recording of Schnittke's posthumous last work, the large-scale, expressive Symphony No 9 reconstructed at his widow's behest by fellow Russian composer Alexander Raskatov.Composed shortly before his death in 1998, Schnittke's ultimate symphony - his very last work - is a most unusual Ninth: put down with a shaky left hand by an artist who had survived four strokes and was laterally debilitated, it is an impressive triumph of spiritual energy over physical constraints. It's lively, vital, varied and transparent music defying ordinary clich�s of late style.The composer's widow Irina treated the barely-legible manuscript as a testament and eventually entrusted the difficult task of deciphering and reconstructing the three movements for large orchestra (38 minutes' music) to Moscow-born Alexander Raskatov who, convinced that Schnittke had intended a fourth movement, also developed the idea to add an independent epilogue, Nunc dimittis for mezzo-soprano, men's vocal quartet and orchestra. It is based on the famous text by orthodox monk Starets Siluan and on verses by Joseph Brodsky, Schnittke's favourite poet.Both pieces were premiered in Dresden in 2007 by the musicians on this recording - mezzo-soprano Elena Vassilieva, The Hilliard Ensemble, and the Dresdner Philharmonie conducted by long-time ECM artist Dennis Russell Davies. It is released simultaneously with Arvo P�rt's In Principio to herald ECM New Series' first 25 years - Schnittke was a performer on the very first New Series album, P�rt's Tabula Rasa.Personnel: Elena Vassilieva (mezzo-soprano), The Hilliard Ensemble, Dresdner Philharmonie, Dennis Russell Davies (conductor)