ABSTRACT
Nikolai Nikolayevich Karetnikov (1930-1994) belongs to the ranks of Russian master musicians kept in the background for many years and even decades. The composer seemed to be haunted by the persistent neglect in his homeland and the indifference on the part of those in the West who promoted some of his fellow-countrymen. He did not share in the currently successful careers of the recognized leaders of the Soviet avant-garde represented by "the magnificent three": Edison Denisov, Alfred Schnittke and Sophia Gubaidulina. The ominous shadow of non-recognition has been cast upon his name, with his compositions remaining still unclaimed.
