The idea of pairing on disc Bach, paragon of Baroque order, and Alfred Schnittke, pioneer of modern polystylistic chaos, is a fresh one. But it shouldn't be; Schnittke's principal models (or foils) were Baroque, and a certain bristling density is common to both composers. Each is quite amenable to transcription for new instruments, and indeed all the works here were originally for two violins. The versions for flute and oboe work perfectly well; the one of Schnittke's Concerto Grosso No. 1 for two violins, harpsichord, prepared piano, and strings is by Schnittke himself. The Concerto Grosso has been one of Schnittke's most successful works, and with its aggressive, somehow gleeful mix of Baroque melodic material, contemporary textures, dissonance, bits of popular music and jazz, and more, it nicely balances the Bach Concerto for two violins and orchestra in D minor, BW 1043. The clean performances by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin under Misha Rachlevsky, with flutist Maria Alikhanova and oboist Dmitri Bulgakov, bring out the levels and layers in both works without losing sight of Schnittke's brusque humor. Only the Schnittke oddity Moz-Art à la Haydn for two violins and strings, which demands to be seen in person, breaks the mood, but it lies in the middle of the program and is more an interlude than a serious distraction. Recommended for any listener as a way into Schnittke, who can seem difficult but is actually one of the highly accessible
Shostakovich's logical successors.