Improvisation and Fugue

Improvisation and Fugue for solo piano, composed 1965. An early mature work that already shows Schnittke moving beyond the strict serialism of his student years toward a more eclectic, gestural language. The improvisatory first section contrasts with the rigour of the fugue, anticipating the tension between freedom and structural discipline that would define his mature polystylistic aesthetic. The work is frequently cited as a key transitional piece in his compositional development.