Schreker: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

After the first installment of this series described Franz Schreker's development up to the success of the dance play Der Geburtstag der Infantin (jpc 3552125), the second album focuses on the years of triumph that the composer enjoyed after the premiere of his opera Der ferne Klang (1912). The Prelude to a Drama from 1914 and the Chamber Symphony from 1916 are among the jewels of musical Art Nouveau: written as offshoots of current stage projects, the two beguiling creations bear witness to a tonal, harmonic and melodic mastery that was unparalleled at the time. - The Four Little Pieces for large orchestra (1931), which separate the older "siblings" here, speak a new language: the abstract contributions to the sound film foreshadow new plans as a powerfully compact, multi-faceted concert suite, which Franz Schreker was unfortunately no longer able to realize.