Symphony in A Minor, Op. 1
Intermezzo, Op. 8
Festwalzer und Walzerintermezzo
Valse lente
Suite "Der Geburtstag der Infantin" (The Birthday of the Infanta)

Once again the enterprising and resourceful classical music label CPO has embarked on a significant and long-overdue recording project, which will bring together the complete orchestral works of Austrian composer and conductor Franz Schreker (1878-1934). A composer strongly influenced by the music of Wagner and Richard Strauss, with harmonic writing firmly based in tonality, albeit highly chromatic tonality. Combined with impressive orchestration skills and dramatic flair, his music is always highly compelling and evocative. He focused most of his efforts on opera, and I would recommend you listen to Irrelohe, as fine an example of early 20th century opera writing you can find. Unfortunately, as was the case for many promising composers around that time, political changes and the rise of anti-Semitism during the 1930s curtailed Schreker's continued success.

When listening to his early works like the Symphony in A Minor, Op. 1 and the Intermezzo, Op. 8, I'm tempted to draw a parallel with Czech composers like Bedrich Smetana for example. Although signs of his own personal and highly lyrical style already established within the Intermezzo started to draw critical praise from the public. But it's his dance pantomime Der Geburtstag der Infantin from 1908, based on a fairy tale by Oscar Wilde about a hunchbacked dwarf, that drew wider attention to his talents as a composer. Its whimsical fantasy setting is perfectly suited to Schreker's colorful programmatic style, and displays his knack for illustrative and picturesque orchestration details.

All of it is performed with attention to detail by the members of the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, and is considered one of the top concert orchestras in Western Germany. I for one will be on the lookout for the rest of this distinctive series.