Die Gezeichneten

During the early decades of the 20th century, the operas of Franz Schreker (1878-1934) were second only to those of Richard Strauss in the German-speaking world, in terms of both popularity and influence. However, with the rise of National Socialism (i.e., the Nazis), the composer was dismissed from his professional posts in 1932 and his music was suppressed—only recently have his works been rescued from obscurity. Admittedly, Schreker's librettos are strange—psychological fantasies rather than straightforward narratives—and taken together with the lush, opulently orchestrated music (in which hints of Wagner and Strauss contend with Schreker's own peculiarly shimmering chords), almost invite the charge of decadence that detractors leveled against him. But they can prove a seductive combination, as in his second great success, Die Gezeichneten (1918). Set in 16th-century Genoa, Italy, the plot concerns a deformed nobleman who has constructed an island paradise (that his friends secretly use for their orgies) and the beautiful woman he falls in love with, who is abducted by a lascivious aristocrat. In this elaborate production mounted at the Salzburg Festival in 2005, the ravishing music—presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo—is conducted with both power and grace by Kent Nagano, and the singers for the most part cope well with Schreker's considerable vocal demands, while on the visual side, the impressive set is dominated by a large collapsed statue of a woman, and the performers appear in costumes updated to the 18th century. A spectacular performance of a challenging and unjustly neglected opera, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)