Franz Schreker

Der Schatzgräber

Dutch National Opera / Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra / Marc Albrecht

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: SACD hybrid
Barcode: 0608917259124

Catalog number: CC 72591
Releasedate: 15-10-13

The 19th century slid in the 20th and such questions took on an urgent tone, as writers, artists, architects and composers sought to create a utopian present in an increasingly dystopian world. Franz Schreker, a Monaco- born composer who settled in Vienna, provided multiple answers through his kaleidoscopic operas. Looking back to Wagner, while embracing the fashions and forms of his own time, Schreker pondered what an artist should offer to modern society. In his fifth opera, Der Schatzgräber – composed between 1915 and 1918 and premiered in Frankfurt on 21 January 1920 – that crisis of conscience finds voice in mystic medievalism. But, despite those fairy-tale appearances, the questions posed by Schreker’s treasure seeker are as urgent as any found in Tristan, Die Meistersinger and Parsifal.

Modern view of "Die Schatzgräber" as the second recording at all (first was in 1989)
Composed during World War I for a better futur
Schrekers operas reflect the situation of the early 20th century
Schreker had an amazing success during his lifetime, but was nearly forgotten after World War II

Franz Schreker (1878-1934, austrian composer) was born in Monaco and grew up during travels across half of Europe and, after the early death of his father, the family moved to Vienna (1888) where in 1892, with the help of a scholarship, Schreker entered the Vienna Conservatory. Starting with violin studies, with Sigismund Bachrich and Arnold Rosé, he moved into the composition class of Robert Fuchs, graduating as a composer in 1900.

Schreker is well known for his operas and worte the libretto and composed his opera "Der Schatzgräber" after the great success of "Der ferne Klang" (1912) and "Die Gezeichneten" (1918). "Der Schatzgräber", questioning the value of materialism versus love, was to prove particularly powerful in post-War Europe. After the Frankfurt premiere in January 1920, productions popped up in major cities across the continent and Schreker became one of the most performed composers of his generation. While his biggest competition Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal had pursued a similar path in the overtly Wagnerian "Die Frau ohne Schatten" – which opened in Vienna on 10 October 1919 – their ‘last Romantic opera’ lacked Schreker’s allegorical punch. Strauss retreated further into Gemütlichkeit, while Schreker continued to wrestle with the dilemma of being an artist in the modern world.

Synopsis
The opera is set in legendary medieval times. The queen has lost her jewels, and with them her beauty and fertility. The fool knows about Elis, a wandering minstrel whose magic lute points out all hidden treasures to him. The king promises the fool that he will be allowed to choose a wife as a reward, if Ellis can find the jewels.

Els, daughter of the innkeeper, has to marry a brutal but rich young nobleman she despises. She therefore sends him away to find the queen's jewels, and has him murdered by Albi, her servant. The minstrel Elis presents Els with an ornament he has found in the woods. Els falls in love with the young minstrel, but then the body of the dead nobleman is found in the woods; the bailiff, who wants Els for himself, arrests Elis on suspicion of murder.

Elis is to be hanged. Els seeks the advice of the fool, who promises to help. The king's messenger stops the execution at the last moment, so Elis can go in search of the ornament. To avoid being exposed, Els orders Albi to steal the minstrel's magic lute.
During a night of love, Els shows herself to Elis in the full beauty of the jewels. She hands over the jewellery to him, on condition that he will never ask her about the provenance, and will always trust her.

Elis has returned the jewels to the queen. During a celebration, the bailiff intervenes and announces that Albi has confessed to the murder. Els is denounced as the instigator of the murder, and the bailiff demands her immediate execution. But the fool reminds the king of his promise: he chooses Els as his wife and thus saves her from being executed.

One year later, Els is dying. Only the fool has remained with her. He fetches the minstrel, who sings his most beautiful ballad for Els. She dies in the minstrel's arms.