Donald Macleod presents a celebration of the music of the USSR's last great composer, Alfred Schnittke.

In the 1960s and 70s, Schnittke developed a unique style he termed 'polystylism' - the weaving of layer upon layer of subtle allusions, creating a world where everything has a hidden, suppressed meaning.

This technique perfectly captured life under the cosh of Soviet Communism, where messages were frequently disguised in layers of codes and doublespeak. Donald is joined by Alexander Ivashkin to present a selection of Schnittke's first polystylistic works, culminating in an extended excerpt from his astonishing First Symphony - a piece that takes the symphonic form to its very limit. Show less