Many 20th-century German composers lost their careers—and even their lives—as the result of German National Socialism, World War II, and Adolph Hitler. Born in Monaco in 1878, Franz Schrecker did not perish due to the regime, yet his posthumous reputation was doubtless seriously affected. Schrecker achieved moderate success as a student at the Conservatory in Vienna, where he studied with Robert Fuchs. By the late 1890s, his music was beginning to be performed. In 1896, Schrecker’s Love Song for string orchestra and harp was performed by the Budapest Opera Orchestra in London, and his graduate composition was praised upon its 1900 performance by the Conservatory Orchestra in Vienna.
Schrecker completed two significant works in 1902: his first opera, Flammen, and his symphonic overture, Ekkehard, op. 12. Based on Viktor von Scheffel’s 1857 novel about a 10th-century monk from St. Gallen who falls in love with the duchess he is supposed to teach. Schrecker uses big gestures to depict the drama. A big opening chorus and horn calls paint the image of the palace, while a softer motive might be interpreted as the monk’s awe. Fearsome percussion and brass evoke the palace’s military might, while an organ theme reminds us of the monk’s origins. A march suggests his internal battle—but as the darker music returns, the listener is left with the sense that the monk has returned from whence he came.
The clash between origin and aspiration is especially poignant given Schrecker’s life. His career continued to gather steam, and in 1920, he was appointed director of the Berlin Musikhochschule. In 1932, however, growing antisemitic pressure forced him to resign—and ultimately resulted in his heart attack and death.