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Amazon.co.uk Review
The welcome resurgence of interest in the Austrian composer Franz Schreker (1878-1934) continues apace with this radiantly played and magnificently engineered Chandos collection of his orchestral music. Between the years 1910 and 1925, Schreker was one of the most feted opera composers in Europe, and it's from his 1918 masterpiece Die Gezeichneten ("The Branded") that the Prelude to a Drama (the curtain-raiser here) borrows its thematic invention. It's an extraordinarily opulent, often seismic, essay (the biggest climaxes come close to registering on the Richter Scale!), whose steamy eroticism Vassily Sinaisky and the BBC Philharmonic convey to rather more telling effect than do the otherwise commendable James Conlon and his Cologne forces on a rival EMI release. The two orchestral interludes from the operas Der ferne Klang and Der Schatzgraber inhabit a similarly voluptuous, almost hallucinatory landscape, and we also get red-blooded renderings of the early symphonic overture Ekkehard (complete with a floorboard-throbbing organ contribution) and the Fantastic Overture (written in 1904, but not heard until eight years later). The miniature Valse lente is simply entrancing. A generous, self-recommending anthology, not to be missed by anyone with a penchant for headily colourful, off-the-beaten-track repertoire. --Andrew Achenbach
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Why is it always Chandos that give us orchestral works we can really explore in very good sound and even better performances? Schreker has been in vogue a little for the last 5 or so years and there're some recordings of his orchestral music available (Conlon on EMI, some on MP) but this selection beats them all. If you ever have wondered how Jugenstil could be painted in sound then try this.
Chandos is going to announce a second volume of Schreker's music with the same performers; that's going to be a feast too. Don't forget to explore Schreker's operas on disc. Listen to Die Gezeichneten (London/Decca, still available) and Die Schatzgraber (Capriccio).
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is probably the best introduction to Schreker's music in the catalogue. Not only does it provide a good cross section of Schreker's late romantic musical style, but the performances by the BBC Philharmonic under Vassily Sinaisky are superb.
The earliest piece here is the Symphonic Overture "Ekkehard" from 1903, while the latest is the Symphonic Interlude from "Der Schatzgräber" dating from 1918. All of the music is good, and some of it is outstanding, notably the "Nachtstück" (1909) and the "Prelude to a Drama" (1913). The "Nachtstück", taken from the opera "Der ferne Klang", features melodies of an enormously appealing sinuous nature and climaxes of the utmost romantic ardour. The "Prelude to a Drama" comprises the Prelude to Act 1 of "Die Gezeichneten" with additional music from Act 3 of the opera. The orchestration is shimmering and iridescent, and once again the music reaches climaxes of sumptuous power.
Sinaisky really has a feel for this music and the performances are everything one could hope for. The version of "Prelude to a Drama" presented here is superior to the rival version by Conlon on EMI and even outclasses the version on a Euroarts DVD of "Die Gezeichneten" conducted by Nagano. Similarly, Sinaisky's performance of the "Nachtstück" is significantly better the version from the Naxos set of "Der ferne Klang" under Halasz.
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this music that they try the Euroarts "Die Gezeichneten". Although there are some small cuts in the music, and the production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff is somewhat bizarre, the performance of the opera is hauntingly beautiful.
The earliest piece here is the Symphonic Overture "Ekkehard" from 1903, while the latest is the Symphonic Interlude from "Der Schatzgräber" dating from 1918. All of the music is good, and some of it is outstanding, notably the "Nachtstück" (1909) and the "Prelude to a Drama" (1913). The "Nachtstück", taken from the opera "Der ferne Klang", features melodies of an enormously appealing sinuous nature and climaxes of the utmost romantic ardour. The "Prelude to a Drama" comprises the Prelude to Act 1 of "Die Gezeichneten" with additional music from Act 3 of the opera. The orchestration is shimmering and iridescent, and once again the music reaches climaxes of sumptuous power.
Sinaisky really has a feel for this music and the performances are everything one could hope for. The version of "Prelude to a Drama" presented here is superior to the rival version by Conlon on EMI and even outclasses the version on a Euroarts DVD of "Die Gezeichneten" conducted by Nagano. Similarly, Sinaisky's performance of the "Nachtstück" is significantly better the version from the Naxos set of "Der ferne Klang" under Halasz.
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this music that they try the Euroarts "Die Gezeichneten". Although there are some small cuts in the music, and the production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff is somewhat bizarre, the performance of the opera is hauntingly beautiful.
Format:Audio CD
Beautiful music well worth having, even if a little sad (understandably so!). Disgraceful that it is not better known. The orchestral playing and interpretation is also excellent.
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