#schreker

Here we see a German Tenor Franz Gruber (1882-1932). He was well know in Germany. Take a look on his career. Here we see a photo from the Singer in the Opera from Franz Schreker “Die Gezeichneten” around 1920.

Thanks to the interwebs, live exposure, plus my many friends in the “biz,” I have got to know a lot of amazing Western art music beyond the most obvious clichés. Hopefully, a few of these are up some of your alleys: 1. Franz Schreker - Kammersymphonie The most recent of recent discoveries. This chamber symphony is one of the few non-operatic works that I think he is known for. A very interesting take on Impressionist-influenced language. I am blown away by the final, gorgeous movement. 

2. Bartók - Piano Concerto #2, SZ 95

I have a great recording of Pollini playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Abbado. An exuberant and intense work with an INSANE, sadistically difficult piano part. You get some idea seeing Yuja Wang’s interpretation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_ICVD4nDU 3. Poulenc - Piano Concerto in C# minor 

After Wagner died, the mantle of German opera fell to several composers - Korngold, Richard Strauss, and Franz Schreker.

Of the three, Schreker was perhaps the one who most seriously took up the cause, as most of his output is devoted to opera.  His first success was Der Ferne Klang (The Distant Sound) premiered in 1912 in Frankfurt.  Schreker was, out of the early twentieth century German composers working at the time, the one who most readily absorbed the elements of Impressionism into his works - everything he penned absolutely shimmers, enormous orchestras used but never all at the same time, weaving a tapestry around his intoxicating, seductive sound world.