Gives the Viennese and Berlin background of Schreker and his struggles—as a
Jew—with Nazism. He was the “most frequently performed opera composer
of his generation” until Hitler’s social decrees forced him to retire; he died a
broken man. He was not revisited after the war: his students had dispersed,
and his works remained unperformed. The negative opinions of Theodore
Adorno had much influence. Hailey believes that the compositions deserved
better, and he finds much of value in the operas as he discusses them. Genesis
and analysis, with reception of Die ferne Klang.Worklist, good bibliography
(some 30 items, by and about), expansive index of names, titles, cities, and topics.
1639.Franz Schreker Symposium. Ed. Elmar Budde and Rudolf Stephan. Berlin:
Colloquium Verlag, 1980. 141p. ISBN 3-767-8052-43. ML410 .S235 F8.
Consists of nine papers given at a meeting in Berlin, 6–8 October 1978. Three
concern operas: Rudolf Stephan, “Anmerkungen zur Oper Das Spielwerk” (a
comparison of the 1912 and 1919 versions); Christopher Hailey, “Zur Entste-
hungsgeschichte der Oper Christophorus” (genesis, variant versions com-
pared); and Wolfgang Molkow, “Die Rolle der Kunst in den frühen Opern
Franz Schrekers.”- Franklin, Peter R. “Style, Structure and Taste: Three Aspects of the Problem of
Franz Schreker.” PRMA109 (1982–1983): 134–146.
Looks at 1908–1916, the period of Schreker’s first successes. The composer
blended radical innovation with sentimental clichés. Franklin leans to subjec-
tive descriptions, such as “we can only approach the work’s summatory over-
ture as a psychological case-study in which we become involved at our peril.”
Program notes on Der ferne Klangand Die Gezeichneten,with musical exam-
ples and some technical observations. - Franklin, Peter R. “Distant Sounds—Fallen Music: Der ferne Klangas a
‘Woman’s Opera.’” COJ3-2 (1991): 159–172.
Franklin says it is not a gender opera, unless as a stereotype of “masculine
fears and fantasies,” but a failed or transitional experiment in modernism.
Musical examples appear, but the discussion is really about the text. - Neuwirth, Gosta. Die Harmonik der Oper “Der ferne Klang” von Franz
Schreker.Regensburg: Bosse, 1972. 256p. ISBN 3-7649-2056-4. MT100 .S38
N5.
Genesis, sources, harmony, form, tonality—all in a useful scene-by-scene
analysis. Bibliography, name index. Based on the author’s dissertation, Freie
Universität, 1968. - Brzoska, Matthias. Franz Schrekers Oper “Der Schatzgrüber.”Beihefte zum
Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 27. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1988. 209p. ISBN
3-515-04850-2. ML55 .A67 v.27.
Genesis, structure, drama and character, performance history. Musical exam-
ples with technical analysis. Bibliography of about 100 items, no index.
See also Franklin (#412).
312 Opera