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Schreker
Posted by Jan Arell on October 30, 2025, 11:09 pm
I’m afraid that there is some confusion in the recent review (October 28th, ’25) by Nick Barnard, of a Bis recording of music by Schreker, Korngold and Krenek. The overture for Schreker’s opera Die Gezeichneten is by no way shortened. This is the overture. Mr Barnard confuses this with the Vorspiel zu einem Drama, also called Vorspiel zu einer großen Oper, which was composed as a standalone orchestral piece, although the music and its themes are similar (but the timings are not).
To add to this, Bis did not record the ”short” Overture on that other recording that Mr Barnard refers to. Bis-2212 includes the much longer Vorspiel. May I also add that both recordings in question are excellent. I have them both.
Re: Schreker
Posted by Nick Barnard on October 31, 2025, 12:19 am, in reply to "Schreker"
Hi Jan,
Thanks for the heads up on this. As I understand it Vorspiel zu einem Drama was written around 1913 using music from Die Gezeichneten whereas Vorspiel zu einer großen Oper is from 20 years later based on themes to the opera Memnon so quite different works. "Shortened Overture" is the title the new BIS release liner uses on its own back cover. Given that the Vorspiel zu einem Drama was performed before the complete opera was premiered, in my head (but this is conjecture) I can understand Schreker writing a fuller more expansive version of the score that then was reduced/shortened for practical theatrical performance. Certainly starting a long night at the opera with a 20+ minute overture is extravagant even by Schreker standards!
If you compare the 2 BIS recordings of the Vorspiel from Die Gezeichneten they are the same work and run for very similar lengths. Confusingly (potentially) the earlier disc does include the Vorspiel zu einer großen Oper as well which elsewhere includes a reference to Memnon. The Vorspiel zu einem Drama shares the exact same material at its opening and elsewhere to the opera overture.
Previous Message
I’m afraid that there is some confusion in the recent review (October 28th, ’25) by Nick Barnard, of a Bis recording of music by Schreker, Korngold and Krenek. The overture for Schreker’s opera Die Gezeichneten is by no way shortened. This is the overture. Mr Barnard confuses this with the Vorspiel zu einem Drama, also called Vorspiel zu einer großen Oper, which was composed as a standalone orchestral piece, although the music and its themes are similar (but the timings are not).
To add to this, Bis did not record the ”short” Overture on that other recording that Mr Barnard refers to. Bis-2212 includes the much longer Vorspiel. May I also add that both recordings in question are excellent. I have them both.
Re: Schreker
Posted by Jan Arell on October 31, 2025, 1:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Schreker"
Hi Nick, I apologize for perhaps being the confused one. Anyway, Die Gezeichneten is a very underrated opera. In my opinion, it is one of the gold nuggets, together with Korngold's Das Wunder der Heliane, in Decca's series of music banned by the nazis, Entartete Musik.
Re: Schreker
Posted by Nick Barnard on October 31, 2025, 3:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Schreker"
Not a problem at all - you had me scrabbling around checking all my notes! We're in complete argreement regarding Die Gezeichneten. The Entarte series was one of the last 'great' serious projects Decca ever did before it was swallowed up by Universal. I still find the fact that Schreker operas were performed over 1000 times by 1928 absolutely mind-boggling!
Previous Message
Hi Nick, I apologize for perhaps being the confused one. Anyway, Die Gezeichneten is a very underrated opera. In my opinion, it is one of the gold nuggets, together with Korngold's Das Wunder der Heliane, in Decca's series of music banned by the nazis, Entartete Musik.
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