Fifteen years after the first three discographic documentations of these unique composition classes (EDA 17, 19, 24), Kolja Lessing introduces in the present recordings the...

Fifteen years after the first three discographic documentations of these unique composition classes (EDA 17, 19, 24), Kolja Lessing introduces in the present recordings the results of further years of research into Schreker’s circle of pupils. Pianistic rarities by Leon Klepper and Isco Thaler, who were both active at least temporarily in Israel, stand alongside works by Hugo Herrmann and Felix Petyrek, two prominent representatives of the musical avant-garde of the Weimar Republic. In spite of the contrasting journeys through life and stylistic directions of these four composers, some striking thematic parallels appear – in the area of folklore between Klepper and Petyrek, and in that of religious-inspired piano music between Herrmann and Thaler. A fascinating kaleidoscope of diverse compositional profiles of astonishing originality.