The Concerto Grosso No. 1 was the first of six concerti grossi by Soviet composer Alfred Schnittke. Written in 1977 when Schnittke was 44, and scored for two violins, harpsichord, prepared piano and 21 strings, it was premiered on March 21 that year by Gidon Kremer and Tatiana Grindenko in the violins, Yuri Smirnov in the keyboards and the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra conducted by Eri Klas. It is one of the most representative works of the polystylism of Schnittke, who defined it as a play of three spheres, the Baroque, the Modern and the banal, fusing its techniques and aesthetics into one cohesive structure. It lasts for c. 28 minutes, and consists of six movements:
- Preludio (Andante)
- Toccata (Allegro)
- Recitativo (Lento)
- Cadenza
- Rondo (Agitato)
- Postlude (Andante)
In 1988 Schnittke arranged the work for flute and oboe instead of the soloist violins.