Franz Schreker - Chamber Symphony (1916)

Franz Schreker (originally Schrecker; 23 March 1878 – 21 March 1934) was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, Schreker developed a style characterized by aesthetic plurality (a mixture of Romanticism, Naturalism, Symbolism, Impressionism, Expressionism and Neue Sachlichkeit), timbral experimentation, strategies of extended tonality and conception of total music theatre into the narrative of 20th-century music.

Chamber Symphony (1916)

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Edo de Waart
Live recording January 8, 2011 Ordway Center, St. Paul

[nostalgicmodernist]

This is uncommonly lush and beautiful. I think I always am subconsciously worried that Schreker is going to be schrecklich, and then he turns out to be a gorgeous master-craftsman.

[oboist]

I love this work, it is so passionate and joyous. I never fail to moved by it every time I hear it. A marvellous performance that captures the essence.

[-fb-]

Surreal beginning, mahlerian development - very rich of colors.

[nicholasfox]

Why on earth is this not performed more often? It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music written in the 20th century.

[robertwilkscomposer]

Absolutely gorgeous. Colorful, effective writing for the orchestra. It sounds like the ensemble is larger than chamber-size, but maybe it's just the way it was recorded.

[pats]

I didn't know this live recording by De Waart. Absolutely stunning. Thanks so much to Bartje Bartmans.
Nothing more to tell about the Kammersymphonie: just an extraordinary masterpiece

[BalbirSingh-ttrv]

Thanks to Austria.Today is the birthday of Franz Schreker.It's a memorable chamber symphony.

[Medtnaculuss]

My favourite! Thanks for uploading this!

[xanaduduo]

First became aware of Schreker through his lush opera 'the branded', but this was unknown to me, many thanks for posting - what a beautiful piece. Very much to be preferred to Schoenberg's two chamber symphonies (that's just my taste, although they were of course groundbreaking) - reminds me a little of that composer's Gurrelieder, which is another of my favourite works. Also has a Franz-Schmidt sound sometimes. This piece has a unique feel though in terms of some of its orchestration innovations. Thoroughly enjoyable. A composer sidelined by the Nazis (he was Jewish), which is why his music was included in the 'Entartete Musik' series from Decca some time ago, alongside Korngold, Schulhoff, Ullman and a number of other interesting figures who either died early in the Nazi period, like Schreker, emigrated like Korngold... or died in the gas chambers, like Ullman.

[gerardbegni]

This kammersymphonie is incredibly subtle. It is quite different from op.9 of Schoenberg. The two scores would deserve to be best known and loved by musicians.Of course, the two scores are in compettition. The Schoenbreg score will always be preferred because it is a major step before a major revolution. But I would like not to see this delicate score disappear because of this competition. We maust acknowledge the importance of the revolution made by Schoenberg, but please don't let us forget 20 years of incredible Viennese music.

[Chesterton]

Wow! Thanks for posting this amazing piece.

[ernestoferreri]

You have to admire the flexibility, technically fabulous voice leading. Were it a minor work of the masters it would be well represented in performances.

[Rupe]

There are comments here that this should be performed more often. Happily for us in Thunder Bay, Ontario, it will be performed tonight Jan. 27/23 by the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Paul Haas conductor.

[DavidA-psqr]

Fabulous early 20th century masterpiece.

[dskinner]

I'm very fortunate to have heard this performed live, in the version for 23 instruments (with an electronic keyboard in place of the harmonium). I can't tell for sure, but it sounds like the strings in this recording might be doubled.

[DanielHernandez-fntx]

0:00 mvmt 1
10:27 mvmt 2
17:02 mvmt 3
18:49 mvmt 4

[antoneeshukov]

Beginning reminds me some colours from Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy

[Rhythmmical]

*pieces ends* *clap clap* *"BRAVO!" at top of lungs* *clap clap clap* :P

Neat piece. But I always thought "chamber" meant small groups and things. This sounds anything but chamber to me!

[bryanstarkweather]

what is the instrumentation? I'm on my phone, but it looks like one of each ww?

[RedZed]

All this exposure to late romantic/early 1900s music has shown me where all the silver screen composers got their ideas a few decades later. How many different ways has Saint-Seans "The Aquarium" been repackaged for soundtracks?