''The Book with Seven Seals'' (''Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln'') is an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

in German by the Austrian composer Franz Schmidt, on themes from the biblical

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...

of Saint John. It was completed in 1937 and first presented in 1938 in Vienna. The Book of Revelation, the final book of the Christian

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, contains a prophetic vision of the end of the present world, the Last Judgement, and the coming of the

New Jerusalem In the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible, New Jerusalem (, ''YHWH šāmmā'', YHWH sthere") is Ezekiel's prophetic vision of a city centered on the rebuilt Holy Temple, the Third Temple, to be established in Jerusalem, which would be the c ...

. The Book with Seven Seals is opened by the enthroned

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

in the presence of the twenty-four elders. The number seven corresponds to the seven spirits of God, and the sevenfold nature of the divine order in the world. As each of the seals is opened in turn, the events and catastrophes leading to the dissolution of the world are set in motion. (''Revelation'', Chapters IV - VII) The oratorio takes the entire sacred narrative of the Book of Revelation as its subject, using selected texts. Through the narrator (tenor), the celestial

symbology A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conce ...

is introduced as visionary material, while the solo voices, ensembles and choruses enact scenes and responses to events as they unfold. The score employs full orchestral resources including important passages for solo

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...

. The presentation of the ultimate catastrophe and consummation of the divine process in world history stretches the conventional boundaries of devotional or narrative subject-matter in oratorio, in a way that reflects the extreme preoccupations of its time and yet remains obedient to the formulations of the genre.

Textual structure

The oratorio is arranged in two main parts, with a prologue in heaven.

Prologue in Heaven

The principal soloist is Saint John (tenor) who, as narrator, opens with words of devotion to God the eternal, and to Christ the redeemer. The voice of God (bass) announces that He is the

Alpha and Omega Alpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol, and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-rh ...

, and will show what must come. John then paints the vision of the throne in heaven, the rainbow, the 24 elders, the seven spirits, the sea of glass and the four living creatures. In turn the creatures and the elders sing praises. Angels then ask, who is worthy to open the book with seven seals which is in the hand of Him who sits on the Throne. John observes that no-one is found worthy, but then sees the Lamb that was slain, standing before the throne, that redeemed men with its blood, and John leads and the Chorus repeats and develops the phrases as the Lamb takes the book (Chorus: Die Vision des Lammes). John describes how everything falls down and worships, and introduces the chorus of worship to the Lamb. So ends the prologue.

Part One

The first part concerns the opening of the first six seals, and tells the history of Mankind and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. After a great organ passage the first seal is broken, and John describes the appearance of the white horse and its crowned rider. The rider, whom Schmidt interprets as Jesus Christ, announces the Antichrist. He rides as a warrior in righteousness, with his heavenly hosts, to fight in the Name of God. John tells how the Lamb opens the second seal, and the fire-red horse and rider ( War) emerges, followed by his hellish hosts, who shall drive all peace from the world, so that men shall all be driven into war against one another. He is given a great sword. Choruses of warriors extolling death and plunder demand that children be torn from their mothers' love and protection, as the women's choruses seek to protect them and cry out their sorrow and torment. (Chorus: Der Krieg) The third and fourth riders signify what follows upon the world plunged into war. John tells of the third seal, and of the black horse and its rider, with scales in his hand. The rider announces a small portion of wheat and barley for all, and the mother and daughter sing a piteous lament (Duoszene: Mutter und Tochter) to the father in heaven as they starve from

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...

. John then describes the pale horse and rider, and the kingdom of death and pestilence which follows him. Tenor and bass soloist, survivors on the corpse-field (Duoszene: Ueberlebenden auf dem Leichenfelde) sing of the death unleashed upon all mankind, but for a small remnant 'He that shall endure to the end shall be saved.' The fifth seal is broken, and John reveals the choir of souls of the Christian martyrs beneath the altar, which cry out for vengeance upon the earth (Chorus: Der Aufruhr im Himmel). The voice of God bids them wait a little while until their brothers and fellow warriors shall join them. John tells of the sixth seal's opening, and behold, a great earthquake, deluge, and world-burning: the first part of the oratorio ends in a violently-agitated chorus (Der Weltuntergang), cut through by angular trumpet-figures, as the Moon goes red with blood, everything crashes in storms, the stars fall to earth, the sea overflows, the sun goes black, and all mankind comes together before the face of the God of Gods in the

Day of Anger ''Day of Anger'' ( it, I giorni dell'ira, lit. "The Days of Wrath") is a 1967 Spaghetti Western film directed and co-written by Tonino Valerii and starring Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma, and features a musical score by Riz Ortolani. The film ...

Part Two

The second part opens in a climactic organ passage introducing a long narrative for John with orchestra. At the opening of the seventh seal, he describes a great silence in heaven. The ensuing narrative is an allegory for the history of the true believers and their Church, from the birth of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, of their struggle against the followers of

the Devil Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. ...

and his false teachers, and of the ultimate victory of the righteous. John describes signs in the heavens, the appearance of a woman, sun and moon at her feet and crowned with twelve stars around her head, and also of a great dragon with seven crowned heads. The dragon's tail strikes the stars down to earth. The woman bears a child, a son, who is drawn up to the throne of God. The woman flees to a wilderness where a place is appointed for her. Then there is war in heaven, and

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

and his angels fight with the dragon (signifying

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...

) and his angels, and the dragon is cast down onto the earth, and has no more place in heaven. And the dragon, seeing this, pursued the woman, and made war on those who kept God's word and bore the sign of Christ. He sees the heaven open, and the King of Kings ride out on the white horse, and all the dragon's followers were slain. An angel came down from heaven, and bound the dragon for a thousand years, and cast him into the eternal pit and closed it up so that he should never more trouble the people of the earth. John's narration returns to the stillness of heaven, the end of all earthly time, and tells that seven angels appear and are given trumpets. Each sounding signifies great sorrows upon the world and its people. The soloists announce the woes, building from

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

through to

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

: a rain of blood and fire (punishment for the sins of mankind, responds the chorus); a glowing mountain appears in the sea, and all ships founder, and all lives are lost in the sea and the water is turned to blood (Response: Great God, your judgements are righteous); the star named Wormwood falls to earth, and poisons all waters, and whoever drinks it, dies (Response: Lord, your punishment is truly righteous); Woe to you, sun moon and stars are lost!, sings the quartet of solo voices. The fifth and sixth blasts and their woes are given entirely to the chorus: the plague of hosts devouring the people, and the armies of riders seeking out and slaying people. Then sounds the seventh trumpet, which announces the fulfilment of God's plans foretold by the prophets. The chorus sings that God rules the world and mankind praises God, in the summons to the Last Judgement (Chorus and Quadruple

Fugue In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...

: Der Appell zum Jüngsten Gericht). John then narrates that earth and heaven disappear before the face of Him that sits on the throne, and the sea and hell give up their dead, and all the dead stand before the throne, and another book, the Book of Life, is opened. Those whose names are not found written there, shall be thrown into the sea of fire. John sees a new heaven and a new earth, and all those whose names are written in the Book of Life go there to have eternal life. The voice of God speaks, saying that He is the Alpha and the Omega and will give to them that thirst the water of life, and they will become His people, and He will wipe away their tears, and there shall be no more death nor sorrow. Behold, He makes all things new. Whoever shall overcome shall be taken up as an Heir (''soll es zum Erbe empfangen''), and He shall be his God, and he will become His son. Then follows an ecstatic Hallelujah chorus (Chorus: Hallelujah), in which the choir sings praises to God, followed by a subdued male chorus of thanksgiving on three notes, in the manner of plainchant. Introduced by a light fanfare as at the opening, the chorus sings 'Amen'!

Orchestration

The oratorio is scored for Heldentenor solo,

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

, and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

solos,

mixed choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, and an orchestra of

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

, 2

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

s, 2

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

cor anglais The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...

, 3

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

s (doubling

E-flat clarinet The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...

and

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

), 2

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

contrabassoon The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Differences from the bassoon The reed is consi ...

, 4

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

s, 3

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

s, 3

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

s, tuba,

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

History

Schmidt completed writing the full score of his oratorio, his greatest work, at his home in Perchtoldsdorf on 23 February 1937, and wrote the date at the end. By his own account the preparation of the full score had occupied him for two years, 1935-1937. He completed the Prologue on 15 October 1935, and worked through the first half of 1936 to complete Part One. At this point his hand had become extremely painful, and he stopped writing in the hope of an improvement through a period of hospital rest. By the turn of the year 1936/37 the score reached as far as the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet. A period of intense effort saw the work to completion over the next two months. It then had to wait a little more than a year for its premiere.This section is adapted from the German Wikipedia. It had taken the composer many more years than this, to bring the musical and textual ideas together in their final form. Some parts of the work, such as the ''Hallelujah'', and the closing address of God, are already foreshadowed in the four little ''Preludes and Fugues'' for the organ (of 1928). However, the only sketches for the oratorio which survive consist of a rough outline of Part Two, on two notebook-leaves. This contrasts with the sketches for other of his works which have been found, including two whole sketchbooks for his opera ''Notre Dame''. But within the score itself one can follow the thread of continual alterations by which he brought the work to its finished state. Schmidt deliberated over the choice of biblical material for inclusion in an oratorio for a very long time. He considered choosing from the Letters of

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, and also thought of setting the Song of Solomon. It is not certain who drew his attention to the Apocalypse, but the names of

Oswald Kabasta Oswald Kabasta (December 29, 1896 – February 6, 1946) was an Austrian conductor. Life and career Kabasta was born in Mistelbach, Austria and later studied with composer Franz Schmidt. In 1931 he became head of conducting at the Vienna ...

and are mentioned in connection with it. Having settled on the

, he consulted various translations in addition to his own house Bible (the

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

version) in order to arrive at a beautiful and clear text. In his notes for the first performance he wrote that he had resolved not to amend the chosen texts, but to keep to the originals. The full score shows the occasional alteration of a word for its resonance, as for example substituting "throne" for "seat". The oratorio includes some freely-constructed original texts which do not come from the Bible, but it is not known who wrote them. The premiere was held in Vienna on 15 June 1938, with the

Vienna Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, german: Wiener Symphoniker) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Thea ...

and the Vienna Singverein (Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde) under Oswald Kabasta, with Franz Schütz at the organ.

Rudolf Gerlach-Rusnak Rudolf Gerlach-Rusnak ( uk, Рудольф Герлах-Руснак; né Orest Rusnak []; later known as Gerlach; 24 July 189523 January 1960) was a German operatic and concert lyrical tenor, and a member of the Bavarian State Opera who had an i ...

sang the Evangelist's recitative role, and the other vocal soloists were Erika Rokyta,

Enid Szánthó Enid Szánthó (15 March 1907 – 1997, buried 21 April 1997) was a Hungarian operatic contralto. From 1928, she belonged to the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera and appeared at the Bayreuth Festival from 1930, first as Erda in ''Der Ring des N ...

Anton Dermota Kammersänger Anton Dermota (June 4, 1910 – June 22, 1989) was a Slovene lyric tenor. Early life He was born in a poor family in the Upper Carniolan village of Kropa in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire (and is now in Slove ...

and

Josef von Manowarda Josef von Manowarda (3 July 1890 in Kraków – 24 December 1942 in Berlin) was an Austrian operatic singer (bass and Heldenbaritone). Life Manowarda was born in Kraków, the son of the Austrian general Eberhard Manowarda von Jana.

. The UK premiere was given on 24 May 1966, conducted by

Bryan Fairfax Lancelot Beresford Bryan Fairfax (8 February 192511 January 2014) was an Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who was known for his championing of little known or neglected works.Anton Dermota Kammersänger Anton Dermota (June 4, 1910 – June 22, 1989) was a Slovene lyric tenor. Early life He was born in a poor family in the Upper Carniolan village of Kropa in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire (and is now in Slove ...

(Evangelist), Walter Berry (God),

Hilde Güden Hilde Güden (or Gueden; 15 September 1917 – 17 September 1988) was an Austrian soprano who was one of the most appreciated Straussian and Mozartian sopranos of her day. Her youthful and lively interpretations made her an ideal interpreter o ...

Ira Malaniuk Ira Malaniuk ( uk, Ірина Маланюк; ''Iryna Malanyuk''; 29 January 1919 – 25 February 2009) was an Austrian operatic Mezzo-soprano of Ukrainian descent. She sang a wide range of roles, from Mozart to contemporary works. Life ...

Fritz Wunderlich Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich (26 September 1930 – 17 September 1966) was a German lyric tenor, famed for his singing of the Mozart repertory and various lieder. He died in an accident aged 35. Biography Wunderlich was born in Kusel in ...

(soloists): Wiener Singverein,

Wiener Philharmoniker The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...

, cond. Dimitri Mitropoulos, Alois Forrer (organ).

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...

, 23 August 1959. Sony SM2K 68442 (2CD). *

Julius Patzak Julius Patzak (9 April 189826 January 1974) was an Austrian tenor distinguished in operatic and concert work. He was particularly noted in Mozart, Beethoven and in early 20th-century German repertoire. Biography Julius Patzak was born in Vienn ...

(Evangelist), Otto Wiener (God), Hanny Steffek,

Hertha Töpper Hertha Töpper (; 19 April 1924 – 28 March 2020) was an Austrian contralto in opera and concert, and an academic voice teacher. A member of the Bavarian State Opera, she appeared in leading roles at major international opera houses and festivals ...

, Erich Majkut,

Frederick Guthrie Frederick Guthrie FRS FRSE (15 October 1833 – 21 October 1886) was a British physicist and chemist and academic author. He was the son of Alexander Guthrie, a London tradesman, and the younger brother of mathematician Francis Guthrie. Alon ...

(soloists): Grazer Domchor,

Münchner Philharmoniker The Munich Philharmonic (german: Münchner Philharmoniker, links=no) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Rad ...

, cond. Anton Lippe, Franz Illenburger (organ). Recorded in Stephaniesaal at Graz, January 1962. Amadeo 2 LP AVRS 5004/5005 St, 2 CD Amadeo 423 993-2. *

Peter Schreier Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century. Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...

(Evangelist),

Robert Holl Robert Holl (born 10 March 1947) is a Dutch bass-baritone classical singer. Life and career Holl was born in Rotterdam and studied at the Rotterdams Conservatorium. After winning the first prize at the 1971 International Vocal Competition 's-H ...

(God), Sylvia Greenberg,

Carolyn Watkinson The English mezzo-soprano Carolyn Watkinson (born 19 March 1949) is a well-known singer of baroque music. Her voice is alternately characterized as mezzo-soprano and contralto. Watkinson was born in Preston and studied at the Royal Manchester ...

Thomas Moser Thomas Moser (born 27 May 1945) is an American-Austrian operatic tenor. Life Born in Richmond, Virginia, Moser first studied singing at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and with Martial Singher at the Music Academy of the West, attende ...

Kurt Rydl Kurt Rydl (born October 8, 1947) is an Austrian operatic bass (basso profondo). Biography Rydl studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and the Moscow Conservatory. He has won many prizes at several competitions. Rydl is a guest on many major fes ...

, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Lothar Zagrosek. Orpheus Digital C 143862H (2CD). * Eberhard Büchner (Evangelist),

(God), Gabriele Fontana, Margareta Hintermeier, Kurt Azesberger, Robert Holzer, Wiener Singverein,

Wiener Symphoniker The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, german: Wiener Symphoniker) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Thea ...

Horst Stein Horst Walter Stein (born 2 May 1928 in Elberfeld, Germany; died 27 July 2008 in Vandœuvres, Switzerland) was a German conductor. Biography Stein's father was a mechanic. At school in Frankfurt, he studied piano, oboe, and singing. Later, h ...

(cond.). 2 CD, Profil: Günter Hänssler (1997) *

Stig Fogh Andersen Sir Stig Fogh Andersen (February 24, 1950 in Hørsholm) is a Danish operatic tenor. He is considered one of the most famous Wagner-tenors, "one of the leading Siegfried (opera), Siegfrieds in the world today". He is married to Tina Kiberg, who i ...

, Rene Pape, Christiana Oelze, Cornelia Kallisch, Lothar Odinius, Alfred Reiter, soloists: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond.

Franz Welser-Möst Franz Leopold Maria Möst (born 16 August 1960), known professionally as Franz Welser-Möst, is an Austrian conductor. He is currently music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. Biography Franz Leopold Maria Möst was born in Linz, Austria, ...

. EMI Classics 2-CD * Kurt Streit, Franz Hawlata,

Dorothea Röschmann Dorothea Röschmann (born 17 June 1967) is a German soprano. She is famous for her performances in operas by Mozart as well as Lieder. Early life Röschmann was born in Flensburg, and sang with the Flensburg Bach Choir by the age of seven. She st ...

, Marjana Lipovsek,

Herbert Lippert Herbert Lippert (born 7 October 1957) is an Austrian operatic tenor. Life Born in Linz, Lippert was a soloist with the Vienna Boys' Choir, studied music teaching at the University of Vienna and graduated with distinction. As a member of the ense ...

: Wiener Singverein,

, cond.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; () (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music ...

. 2 CD, Teldec (2000) *

Johannes Chum Johannes Chum (born 1968) is an Austrian operatic tenor who has made an international career, first in concert, then in opera. Initially known for historically informed performance of Baroque oratorios and Mozart operatic roles, he has developed ...

(Evangelist), Robert Holl,

Sandra Trattnigg Sandra Trattnigg (born 14 November 1976, Klagenfurt) is an Austrian opera and concert soprano. Life Trattnigg was born in Klagenfurt in South Carinthia in 1976 and has been living in Zürich since 2005. She received her musical training at t ...

, Michelle Breedt,

Nikolai Schukoff Nikolai Andrej Schukoff (born 1969) is an Austrian operatic tenor. Life Born in Graz, Schukoff completed his vocal studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with a diploma in "music-dramatic performance", for which he was awarded the Lilli Lehmann ...

, Manfred Hemm, Wiener Singverein Tonkünstler-Orchester, cond. Kristjan Järvi. CD, Chandos (2008) *

, Noriko Masuda, Etsuko Kanoh, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Kurt Rydl, Ritsuyukai Choir, New Japan Philharmonic, cond.

Christian Arming Christian Arming (born 18 March 1971, Vienna) is an Austrian conductor. Biography Born in Vienna, Arming and his family later resided in Tokyo until Arming was age two. The family relocated to Hamburg, and then returned to Vienna. He sang with ...

. 2 CD, Fontec (2009) *

Klaus Florian Vogt Klaus Florian Vogt (born 12 April 1970) is a German operatic tenor. He has often sung roles written by Richard Wagner. Career Klaus Florian Vogt was a hornist first and played for several years with the Hamburg Philharmonic. He studied voice a ...

Georg Zeppenfeld Georg Zeppenfeld (born 1970) is a German operatic bass. Life Born in Attendorn, Zeppenfeld studied first music and Germanistik at the , then concert and opera singing at the music academies in Detmold and Köln, and then with Kammersänger H ...

, Inga Kalna, Bettina Ranch, Dovlet Nurgeldiyev, Volker Krafft, NDR Chor, Staatschor Latvija, Hamburger Philharmoniker, cond. Simone Young. Oehms Classics (2016) * Anton Dermota, Robert Holl, Margarita Kyriaki, Hertha Töpper, Thomas Moser, Artur Korn (soloists); Grazer Concertchor, Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerorchester, cond. Alois J. Hochstrasser; Rudolf Scholz (organ).

Preiser Records Preiser Records is an independent Austrian record label. It was founded in 1952 by Otto G. Preiser (1920–1996). The label is particularly important for recordings from the Viennese cabaret scene, especially from the 1950s and 1960s (Helmut Qua ...

SQPR 3263/4 (2 LP)

References

Sources

*Andreas Liess, ''Franz Schmidt'' (Verlag Hermann Böhlaus Nachf. G.m.b.H., Graz 1951). *Carl Nemeth, ''Franz Schmidt'' (Amalthea-Verlag, Zurich-Leipzig-Wien 1957). *Franz Kosch, 'Das Österreichische Oratorium. Zur Musik von Franz Schmidts "Das Buch Mit Sieben Siegeln",' in ''Österreichische Musikzeitschrift'', Jahrgang 8, Wien 1953, pp. 98–104. *Albert Arbeiter, 'Einführung in "Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln",' 1958, ''Styria'', Judenburg. *Franz Schmidt, 'Einige Bemerkungen zum Text des Oratoriums "Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln".'(Printed in full (German) in insert to Amadeo LP and CD record sets of 1962 recording).

External links

Notice of first performance in Cologne, 2007
* Notice of performance in Würzburg 2007, with video: * Roderick Dunnett interview 2000, re Nicholas Kenyon performance {{DEFAULTSORT:Book With Seven Seals, The Oratorios 1937 compositions Music for orchestra and organ Compositions by Franz Schmidt