Gustav Schreck |Christus, der Auferstandene

Just in time for the 100th anniversary of his death, Gustav Schreck (1849–1918) is finally given the attention he deserves. Schreck was the only of Bach’s twentieth-century successors as cantor at St Thomas’s Church, Leipzig, to be active as a composer. The present disc presents the world premiere recording of Schreck’s oratorio ‘Christ, the Risen One’, which has not been performed in Germany since 1892. Buried in the archives for a century, the work is once more restored to life by the Philharmonisches Orchester des Staatstheaters Cottbus under the direction of Fabian Enders at the church of St Thomas in Leipzig. The oratorio effectively combines the colourful riches of a late Romantic orchestration with choral splendour like few other works of the sacred repertoire. Its stunning beauty and addictive sound offer a thrilling sonic experience of great drama: Schreck’s masterpiece was unjustly forgotten and is certainly worth being performed once again!