Christoph Eschenbach Review – The Distant Voice

The ongoing engagement with Franz Schreker has been notable since about 1990. In addition to a chamber symphony, this album, titled after his operatic debut success, brings together somewhat unknown pieces by the poet-composer, who are believed to be erotic and eclectic. They are lofty vocal creations that, if built up too closely, would have contained residual risks of tonal gluttony, which Christoph Eschenbach aptly avoided. With Israeli soprano Chen Reis and German baritone Matthias Goern, Eschenbach presents the injuries in the biography of Schreker, who classified as Jewish and because of his “degenerate” work in 1933 from his composition master class at the Prussian Academy of Arts forced their retirement. The songs and orchestral pieces performed here in first-rate style celebrate Schreker’s porous power.

remote sound
Schreker: Night piece, Valse lente, chamber symphony, lyrical songs, ballads, minor suite and romantic suite

Chen Reis (soprano), Matthias Goern (baritone), Konzerthauserchester Berlin, Christoph Eschenbach (conductor)
German gramophone

Christopher Eschenbach

Before Christoph Eschenbach’s debut in 1972 with a performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 in Hamburg, the artist, who was born in Breslau in 1940, had a remarkable career as a pianist. When he was 10 years old, he won a hamburger…more

Matthew Guern

Whether it be opera productions or song concerts – for baritone Matthias Goern, both areas of activity are equally important. The versatility of his voice helped him land an international singing career. Born in Weimar in 1967. He studied at … next