Schreker: The Birthday of the Infanta Suite, Prelude to a Drama & Romantic Suite

Featuring

JoAnn Falletta
Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Franz Schreker

Did you know?

1/6

Composer Biography

Franz Schreker, a prominent Austro-German composer, was born in Monaco in 1878, where his father, Ignaz Schrecker, worked as an imperial court photographer.

Performer Biography

JoAnn Falletta, the conductor on this album, was the first female conductor to lead a major American ensemble when she was appointed music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999.

Historical Context

Franz Schreker's music was banned by the Nazis due to its 'degenerate' progressive tendencies, leading to a period of neglect in the post-war era.

Composer Biography

In 1920, Franz Schreker became the director of the prestigious Berliner Musikhochschule, where he also taught composition to notable pupils like Alois Hába and Ernst Krenek.

Composition History

Schreker's opera Der ferne Klang ('The Distant Sound') premiered in 1912 and marked the beginning of his most successful period of composition.

Recording & Production

The works on this album are arranged in reverse chronological order, allowing listeners to first experience the 'typical' Schreker and then discover his earlier compositional approaches.