Symphony No. 9 (Schnittke)  The Symphony No. 9 by Alfred Schnittke was written two years before his death in 1998. The reconstruction of the manuscript of a barely readable score was made by a younger generation composer – Alexander Raskatov – hired by Irina Schnittke, the composer's widow. Raskatov not only reconstructed Schnittke's Ninth but also wrote his own composition: "Nunc dimittis – In memoriam Alfred Schnittke". The premiere recording of both pieces was conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. Schnittke's Symphony No. 9 is written in three movements – each consecutively faster than the one before: The opening movement originally had no tempo marking: Raskatov added one following Irina Schnittke's suggestion that the composer's idea was to escalate from a slow movement at the beginning to a faster one in the middle and a very fast movement at the end. In his Symphony No. 9, Schnittke employed a large orchestra, including triple woodwind, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, strings, three percussionists and harpsichord. The Andante begins with the strings followed by the clarinet and the trombone. Raskatov called that section: “voice from beyond”. Consecutive events are interrupted by violent brass. The clarinet plays the leading role, gradually dominating the woodwind section. The Moderato central movement begins with the strings followed by the wind instruments and harpsichord. The horn plays a delusive solo and the drum beats out a rhythm announcing a fast finale. That movement is a transformation from the first movement's lamentation into the third movement's impetus. The Presto begins with the strings playing against the beat and the wind instruments building the wall of the sound. The strings and the piccolo carry on the dialogue. The harpsichord comes back for a while. A short wind chorale increases and collapses and dissonant pianissimo chords close the work. Schnittke's Symphony No. 9 in the version prepared by Raskatov as well as its world premiere recording conducted by Davies have given rise to diverse and conflicting opinions. James Leonard from allmusic.com writes: "Schnittke’s Ninth may or may not be judged the equal or even the superior of his Eighth, but it is vastly better than Raskatov’s own "Nunc dimittis" that accompanies it here".