Franz Schreker

Started by The new erato, August 04, 2013, 11:07:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Symphonic Addict

Nice, Bruce. The visuals will make a difference at enjoying it.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

bhodges

Part of a superb concert, here is Schreker's Kammersinfonie, recorded in November 2020, with Stefan Asbury and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony doing heroic work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYaxVlJeGeA

--Bruce

Symphonic Addict



Arguably his most famous opera ended up being a little of a let-down. I had high expectations about this work. The act one doesn't have action enough to hold my interest, it was too focused on the singing and less so on the orchestral part. Just from Und weiss Salvago von Eurem Treiben? on (act two) the music got more interesting. However, it's in the act three where things were really attractive; the inclusion of choruses improved my overall reaction to the piece, and there is more drama that gripped me much better.

Hopefully the next operas will be more appealing from the beginning.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict



The composer's style considerably changed with this work. The musical language is more daring, dissonant, with tinges of twelve-tone aesthetics, with a sparser use of the orchestra, even I seemed to hear jazz touches. Even though from the very beginning I wasn't too hooked, the music got better soon, and it's certainly gripping throughout. The ending is so beautiful and moving.

This succeeded my expectations. A worthwhile composition.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

brewski

Browsing Operavision, I found this production from Theater Bonn of Schreker's Der singende Teufel (The Singing Devil), recorded in May 2023, and available until 17 August 2024.

-Bruce

"I set down a beautiful chord on paper—and suddenly it rusts."
—Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

Albion

Quote from: brewski on March 12, 2024, 08:08:52 PMBrowsing Operavision, I found this production from Theater Bonn of Schreker's Der singende Teufel (The Singing Devil), recorded in May 2023, and available until 17 August 2024.

-Bruce



Since Bielefeld in 1989 I have longed for a new production of this opera. I have made an MP3 of the 2023 Bonn revival -

https://www.mediafire.com/file/odselebfhxxuuk5/Schreker_-_Der_singende_Teufel_%25281924-28%2529.mp3/file

 8)
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

Albion

Quote from: Albion on March 13, 2024, 03:33:50 AMSince Bielefeld in 1989 I have longed for a new production of this opera. I have made an MP3 of the 2023 Bonn revival -

https://www.mediafire.com/file/odselebfhxxuuk5/Schreker_-_Der_singende_Teufel_%25281924-28%2529.mp3/file

 8)

I have now corrected the title of the file as I omitted "mp3". The new link should work...
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

Albion

A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

brewski

Quote from: Albion on March 13, 2024, 07:02:24 AMThe entertaining 2023 staging is on YouTube -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIxIB-fNwZE&t=36s

Thanks for posting that! I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

-Bruce
"I set down a beautiful chord on paper—and suddenly it rusts."
—Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

Albion

Quote from: brewski on March 13, 2024, 07:36:29 AMThanks for posting that! I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

-Bruce

You'll love it, especially the costumes which are highly imaginative and effective. It proves that a well-staged production can bring these forgotten operas to life again...

 ;D
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

Albion

Markedly more "advanced" and dissonant than "Irrelohe" (1919-24) "Der singende Teufel" shows Schreker moving towards the synthesis of styles he achieved in his final opera "Der Schmied von Gent" (1929-32).
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

brewski

Quote from: Albion on March 13, 2024, 08:40:33 AMMarkedly more "advanced" and dissonant than "Irrelohe" (1919-24) "Der singende Teufel" shows Schreker moving towards the synthesis of styles he achieved in his final opera "Der Schmied von Gent" (1929-32).

Thanks. I have only seen Die Gezeichneten, even though friends in Europe have seen the ones you mention, as well as Die Ferne Klang, multiple times.

One of my disappointments, since discovering the composer a few years ago, is that the Metropolitan Opera has never staged any Schreker. I hope that happens. Yes, some of the plots are a little odd, but that could be said about any number of operas. And the music alone is glorious.

-Bruce
"I set down a beautiful chord on paper—and suddenly it rusts."
—Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

Albion

#52
Quote from: brewski on March 13, 2024, 09:15:02 AMThanks. I have only seen Die Gezeichneten, even though friends in Europe have seen the ones you mention, as well as Die Ferne Klang, multiple times.

One of my disappointments, since discovering the composer a few years ago, is that the Metropolitan Opera has never staged any Schreker. I hope that happens. Yes, some of the plots are a little odd, but that could be said about any number of operas. And the music alone is glorious.

-Bruce

If they could stage Zandonai's wonderful "Francesca da Rimini" (1916) way back in 1984 with Placido Domingo they should have got round to Schreker by now. I went over to Germany in 2002 specifically to see (unfortunately rather dismal) productions of ""Die Gezeichneten" and "Der Schatzgraber".

Schreker rivalled Richard Strauss in the 1920s in terms of performances and opera houses vied to produce his latest work. Ironically, this was partly undermined by his own publisher Universal which issued a satirical edition of their house magazine replete with parodies of his libretti and slogans such as "Schreker's Operas Really Are The Best" - talk about shooting themselves in the bloody foot...

 ::)
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)