Beethoven — Schnittke: “Polystylistic Field” of Violin Cadenza

Abstract

Questions of style interactions are still relevant in contemporary music. Having emerged in the 70–80ies of the last century in the practice of polystylistics, they have become a part of the modern theory of intertext. Schnittke’s Cadenza for Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a striking example of polystylistic technique, which has not been previously analyzed among other works by the composer. The article comments on Schnittke’s published text focused on the cadenza from the standpoint of intertextuality. It adds previously unknown facts of citation in it, fits the cadenza not only in the context of the composer’s violin music, but also in the general context of art of the late 20th —  early 21st centuries.