Role

:

Composer Conductor

Country

:

Austria

Birth

:

March 23, 1878 in Monaco

Death

:

March 21, 1934 in Berlin, Germany

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Franz Schreker was a prominent Austrian composer and conductor of the early 20th century. He was born on March 23, 1878, in Monaco, the son of a Bohemian Jewish father and a Viennese Catholic mother. Schreker grew up in a musical family, and his father was a violinist and conductor. He began his musical education at an early age, studying piano and violin with his father. Schreker attended the Vienna Conservatory, where he studied composition with Robert Fuchs and piano with Franz Schmidt. He graduated in 1900 and began his career as a conductor, working at various theaters in Austria and Germany. In 1908, he became the conductor of the Vienna Court Opera, a position he held until 1920. Schreker's early compositions were influenced by the late Romantic style of Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler. His first opera, "Fernando," was premiered in 1903 and was well received. However, it was his second opera, "Der ferne Klang" (The Distant Sound), that brought him international recognition. The opera premiered in Frankfurt in 1912 and was an immediate success. It was performed throughout Europe and the United States and established Schreker as one of the leading composers of his time. "Der ferne Klang" is a complex work that combines elements of Romanticism, impressionism, and expressionism. The opera tells the story of a composer who is searching for the perfect sound, represented by a distant bell. The work is notable for its lush orchestration and innovative use of harmony and melody. Schreker's next opera, "Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin" (The Music Box and the Princess), premiered in 1913 and was also well received. The opera is a fairy tale about a music box that comes to life and falls in love with a princess. The work is notable for its use of exotic instruments, such as the celesta and the harp, and its intricate vocal writing. In 1915, Schreker composed his third opera, "Die Gezeichneten" (The Stigmatized), which is considered his masterpiece. The opera tells the story of a group of artists who are shunned by society because of their physical deformities. The work is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy and cruelty of society and is notable for its use of dissonance and atonality. During World War I, Schreker served in the Austrian army as a bandmaster. After the war, he returned to Vienna and continued to compose and conduct. He composed several more operas, including "Irrelohe" (The Flaming Madness) in 1924 and "Der Schatzgräber" (The Treasure Hunter) in 1929. However, his music fell out of favor with the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, which condemned his music as "degenerate." In 1932, Schreker was dismissed from his position as director of the Berlin State Opera because of his Jewish ancestry. He returned to Vienna, where he continued to compose and teach at the Music Academy. However, his health began to decline, and he died on March 21, 1934, at the age of 55. Schreker's music was largely forgotten after his death, but it has experienced a revival in recent years. His operas are now performed regularly in Europe and the United States, and his music is recognized as an important contribution to the development of modernism in classical music. Schreker's music is characterized by its lush orchestration, innovative use of harmony and melody, and its exploration of psychological and social themes.

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