SCHMIDT, F.: Buch mit sieben Siegeln (Das) (Kristjan Jarvi)
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Seen by many as Franz Schmidt's greatest work, Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln ambitiously sets one of the most challenging texts, the Book of Revelation, to...
Seen by many as Franz Schmidt's greatest work, Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln ambitiously sets one of the
most challenging texts, the Book of Revelation, to music. In his programme notes for the first
performance of Das Buch, he commented on the mammoth challenge of setting the entire Apocalypse to
music and said his priority 'was to bring the text into a form which retained everything important,
wherever possible in the original wording, and yet reduce the immense dimensions of the work to a point
where they could be grasped by ordinary human brains.' The result is this magnificent oratorio, here
performed by the Tonkunstler Orchestra and starring Dutch bass-baritone Robert Holl, who has almost
become synonymous with the role it is so much his own.
Schmidt composed his oratorio Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln in 1935-7, when Schmidt's health was
quickly failing and with a particularly keen sense of his own mortality. The composition wittingly or
unwittingly seems to tap into the feelings of the time, and his apocalyptic visions soon became realities.
Written at a time when the opposite poles of contemporary music were represented by the internationally
renowned music of Schoenberg and Stravinsky. Their pioneering styles seemed at the time to be
mutually exclusive and left little room for those who did not obviously adhere to one camp or the other.
Sadly Schmidt's music seemed a highly conservative continuation of an outmoded romanticism, greatly
influenced by his teachers Bruckner and Fuchs and his Hungarian origins. Today, with the benefit of
hindsight, it is precisely Schmidt's refusal to pander to modernistic trends that endows his distinctive
contribution to twentieth-century music with a refreshing integrity and individuality and Das Buch is now
justifiably seen, as one of the greatest epic works of the Twentieth Century.
The Tonkunstler Orchestra is one of the most important institutions of Austrian musical culture, exploring
not only repertoire based on almost a hundred years of history, but also exploring new or unfamiliar
works from the past three centuries under its principal conductor, Kristjan Jarvi.
Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals) (more info)
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Part I: Gnade sei mit euch (Johannes) - 2:39
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Part I: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord) - 3:01
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Part I: Und eine Tur ward aufgeten im Himmel (Johannes) - 4:47
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Part I: Heilig, heilig ist Gott der Allmachtige (Quartet, Chorus, Johannes) - 2:08
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Part I: Herr, du bist wurdig zu nehmen allein Preis (Chorus, Quartet) - 3:17
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Part I: Und ich sah in der rechten Hand dess (Johannes) - 1:34
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Part I: Ein Engel rief… (Johannes, Quartet) - 3:57
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Part I: Nun sah ich und siehe (Johannes, Chorus, Solo Quartet) - 6:34
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Part I: Lento (Organ solo) - 3:30
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Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel erstes auftat (Johannes, Chorus) - 2:15
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Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel zweites auftat (Johannes, Chorus) - 6:24
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Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel drittes auftat (Johannes, Bass, Soprano, Alto, Chorus) - 4:45
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Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel viertes auftat (Johannes, Tenor, Bass) - 4:48
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Part I: Und als das Lamm der Siegel funftes auftat (Johannes, Chorus) - 4:10
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Part I: Ruhet noch und wartet eine kleine Weile (Voice of the Lord) - 2:01
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Part I: Und ich sah, dass das Lamm der Siegel sechstes auftat (Johannes, Chorus) - applause - 8:00
Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals) (more info)
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Part II: Vivace ma non troppo (Organ solo) - 2:51
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Part II: Nach dem Auftun des siebenten der Siegel (Johannes) - 3:06
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Part II: Ein Weib, umkleidet mit der Sonne (Johannes) - 9:56
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Part II: Ich sah den Himmel aufgeten (Johannes) - 2:03
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Part II: Und als die grosse Stille (Johannes) - 1:22
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Part II: Die Posaune verkundet grosses Wehe (Quartet, Chorus) - 8:41
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Part II: Vor dem Angesichte dessen (Johannes) - 4:26
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Part II: Ich bin das A und das O (Voice of the Lord) - 5:49
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Part II: Hallelujah! (Chorus) - 5:59
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Part II: Wir danken dir, o Herr (Chorus) - 1:41
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Part II: Ich bin es, Johannes (Johannes, Chorus) - 2:48