Franz Schreker's opera Der Schatzgräber was begun during the "hungry winter" of 1916/17 and completed on the day the German-Austrian Republic was proclaimed in Vienna.
Recording & Production
This recording of Franz Schreker's opera Der Schatzgräber is a co-production between Hamburgische Staatsoper, RIAS-Berlin, and Capriccio.
Composer Biography
Franz Schreker founded the Philharmonic Choir, with which he conducted the first performance of Schönberg's Gurrelieder in 1912.
Compositional Technique
In Der Schatzgräber, Franz Schreker uses specific tonal centers as "sonorous ciphers"; for example, C sharp denotes the realm of illusion, while D implies the realm of reality.
Composer Biography
Franz Schreker, the composer, was born in Monaco in 1878 to the Vienna court photographer Ignaz Franz Schreker and Eleonore von Clossmann.
Cultural Impact
Der Schatzgräber was one of the most performed contemporary operas during the Weimar Republic, with 385 performances in 50 cities between 1920 and 1932.
Critical Reception
Der Schatzgräber was Franz Schreker's most popular work, premiering in Frankfurt on January 21, 1920.
