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Schmidt: Symphony No. 4; The Book with Seven Seals
SOMM Recordings

Schmidt: Symphony No. 4; The Book with Seven Seals

$32.99

Details

Composer
Franz Schmidt
Artist
Julius Patzak, Otto Wiener, Hanny Steffen, Hertha Topper, Erich Market, Frederick Guthrie, Franz Ill
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
Apr 19, 2024
Catalog #
ARIADNE 5026-2
UPC
758871502627

About

Franz Schmidt 150 (1874-1939)

SOMM Recordings honors Franz Schmidt, one of the great symphonic composers of the 20th century, on the 150th anniversary of his birth with this double-disc set featuring two of his masterworks. Revered in his day in his native Austria as the nation’s leading composer and an elite teacher, cellist, and pianist, his name will not be known to many. This is due, at least in part, to a perceived association with the Third Reich (against which there is ample evidence). This first release on CD of two premiere recordings, meticulously produced and restored by Lani Spahr, showcases Schmidt’s unique harmonic language, exceptional contrapuntal skill, and mastery of form, qualities which prompted Hans Pfitzner to call Schmidt’s Symphony No. 4 “nearer perfection than Bruckner, more honest than Richard Strauss and more original than Reger”.

Born in Pressburg (Bratislava) in 1874, Schmidt’s teachers (piano) included his mother (herself a student of Liszt), Rudolf Mader, Ludwig Burger and Theodor Leschetizky; (cello) Karl Udel and Ferdinand Hellmesberger; and (theory) Felicián Moczik and Robert Fuchs. He was, for a time, principal cellist in the Vienna Philharmonic under Mahler. While his symphonic output is clearly in the structural mold of Schubert, Brahms, and Bruckner, his harmonic language, while showing influences of Strauss, Mahler, and early Schoenberg, is clearly his own.

A near fatal heart attack in the years following the success of his Fourth Symphony prompted the composer to put his efforts into a major religious work. His setting of eight chapters of the last book of the New Testament in Martin Luther’s German became The Book with Seven Seals (From the Revelation of St. John the Divine), not through-composed but constructed of clearly defined sections in the great 19th-century oratorio tradition.

The success of this summum opus and his stature in Austria drew the attention of the Nazis, who commissioned Schmidt to write a cantata on partisan texts (which he abandoned, only for it to be completed by a student and nevertheless performed under Schmidt’s name). With the fading of this unfortunate association a growing number of prominent conductors (the Järvis, Welser-Möst, Luisi, Bychkov) have begun to revive performances of his music in our time. Lani Spahr’s previous SOMM releases include the lauded four-volume sets Vaughan Williams Live (ARIADNE 5016, 5018-20) and Elgar Remastered (SOMMCD 261-4), as well as Elgar from America, Volume 3 (Ariadne 5015-2), which garnered a Gramophone Editor’s Choice for “superb audio restorations [bringing] performances fully to life”.

Tracklist 29 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro molto moderato - Passionato - 14:57
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro molto moderato - Passionato -
    Duration
    14:57
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Wiener Symphoniker
    Conductor
    Rudolf Moralt
  3. 2 II. Adagio - Più lento - Adagio - 14:46
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio - Più lento - Adagio -
    Duration
    14:46
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Wiener Symphoniker
    Conductor
    Rudolf Moralt
  4. 3 III. Molto vivace - 07:29
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Molto vivace -
    Duration
    07:29
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Wiener Symphoniker
    Conductor
    Rudolf Moralt
  5. 4 IV. Tempo primo un poco sostenuto - Passionato - Tempo primo: Allegro molto moderato 09:52
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Tempo primo un poco sostenuto - Passionato - Tempo primo: Allegro molto moderato
    Duration
    09:52
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Wiener Symphoniker
    Conductor
    Rudolf Moralt
  6. 5 Part I: Gnade sei mit euch (John) 04:37
    Track
    5
    Title
    Part I: Gnade sei mit euch (John)
    Duration
    04:37
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  7. 6 Part I: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord) 02:02
    Track
    6
    Title
    Part I: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord)
    Duration
    02:02
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Otto Wiener
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  8. 7 Part I: Und eine Tur ward aufgeten im Himmel (John) 03:56
    Track
    7
    Title
    Part I: Und eine Tur ward aufgeten im Himmel (John)
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  9. 8 Part I: Heilig, heilig ist Gott der Allmachtige (Solo Quartet, Chorus, John) 05:50
    Track
    8
    Title
    Part I: Heilig, heilig ist Gott der Allmachtige (Solo Quartet, Chorus, John)
    Duration
    05:50
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Hanny Steffek, Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  10. 9 Part I: Und ich sah in der rechten Hand dess (John) 05:39
    Track
    9
    Title
    Part I: Und ich sah in der rechten Hand dess (John)
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  11. 10 Part I: Nun sah ich und siehe (John, Chorus) 06:05
    Track
    10
    Title
    Part I: Nun sah ich und siehe (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    06:05
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak, Hanny Steffek
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  12. 11 Part I: Lento 04:09
    Track
    11
    Title
    Part I: Lento
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Franz Illenberger
  13. Disc 2
  14. 1 Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel erstes auftat (John, Chorus) 02:14
    Track
    1
    Title
    Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel erstes auftat (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  15. 2 Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel zweites auftat (John, Chorus) 06:16
    Track
    2
    Title
    Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel zweites auftat (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  16. 3 Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel drittes auftat (John, Bass, Soprano, Alto, Chorus) 04:11
    Track
    3
    Title
    Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel drittes auftat (John, Bass, Soprano, Alto, Chorus)
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak, Frederick Guthrie, Hanny Steffek, Hertha Töpper
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  17. 4 Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel viertes auftat (John, Tenor, Bass) 03:47
    Track
    4
    Title
    Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel viertes auftat (John, Tenor, Bass)
    Duration
    03:47
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak, Erich Majkut, Frederick Guthrie
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  18. 5 Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel funftes auftat (John, Chorus) 03:45
    Track
    5
    Title
    Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel funftes auftat (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  19. 6 Part I: Und es wurde ihnen einem jeglichen gegeben ein weißes kleid (John, Voice of the Lord) 02:43
    Track
    6
    Title
    Part I: Und es wurde ihnen einem jeglichen gegeben ein weißes kleid (John, Voice of the Lord)
    Duration
    02:43
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak, Otto Wiener
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  20. 7 Part I: Und ich sah, dass das Lamm der Siegel sechstes auftat (John, Chorus) 07:17
    Track
    7
    Title
    Part I: Und ich sah, dass das Lamm der Siegel sechstes auftat (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    07:17
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  21. 8 Part II: Vivace ma non troppo 03:12
    Track
    8
    Title
    Part II: Vivace ma non troppo
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Franz Illenberger
  22. 9 Part II: Nach dem Auftun des siebenten der Siegel (John) 02:55
    Track
    9
    Title
    Part II: Nach dem Auftun des siebenten der Siegel (John)
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  23. 10 Part II: Ein Weib, umkleidet mit der Sonne (John) 03:36
    Track
    10
    Title
    Part II: Ein Weib, umkleidet mit der Sonne (John)
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  24. 11 Part II: Und sie gebar einen sohn (John) 02:10
    Track
    11
    Title
    Part II: Und sie gebar einen sohn (John)
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  25. 12 Part II: Im Himmel aber erhob sich ein grosser Streit (John) 06:16
    Track
    12
    Title
    Part II: Im Himmel aber erhob sich ein grosser Streit (John)
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  26. 13 Part II: Und als die grosse Stille (John, Solo Quartet, Chorus) 11:31
    Track
    13
    Title
    Part II: Und als die grosse Stille (John, Solo Quartet, Chorus)
    Duration
    11:31
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak, Hanny Steffek
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  27. 14 Part II: Vor dem Angesichte dessen (John) 04:48
    Track
    14
    Title
    Part II: Vor dem Angesichte dessen (John)
    Duration
    04:48
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  28. 15 Part II: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord) 05:08
    Track
    15
    Title
    Part II: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord)
    Duration
    05:08
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Otto Wiener
    Ensemble
    Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  29. 16 Part II: Hallelujah! (Chorus) 04:12
    Track
    16
    Title
    Part II: Hallelujah! (Chorus)
    Duration
    04:12
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  30. 17 Part II: Wir danken dir, o Herr (Chorus) 01:56
    Track
    17
    Title
    Part II: Wir danken dir, o Herr (Chorus)
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe
  31. 18 Part II: Ich bin es, Johannes, der all dies hörte und sah (John, Chorus) 02:14
    Track
    18
    Title
    Part II: Ich bin es, Johannes, der all dies hörte und sah (John, Chorus)
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Franz Schmidt
    Performer
    Julius Patzak
    Ensemble
    Graz Cathedral Choir, Münchner Philharmoniker
    Conductor
    Anton Lippe