On 22 December, we celebrate the 150th birthday of Franz Schmidt, one of the last great Romantics. His work, characterised by deep faith and emotional intensity, culminates in his monumental oratorio "The book with 7 Seals". This work, inspired by the Book of Revelation, was premiered in Vienna in 1938 and is now considered a timeless masterpiece. His four symphonies are equally moving, especially the Symphony No. 4 in C major, a poignant musical legacy that he dedicated to his deceased daughter. 

Franz Schmidt influenced the Austrian and Vienna musical life in many ways: from 1896 to 1911 he was a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, until 1913/14 he held a post as cellist in the Vienna Court Opera Orchestra. As teacher for piano, violoncello, counterpoint and composition at the present University of Music and Performing Arts he educated numerous students who later became renowned musicians, conductors and composers.

The oratorio "The Book with Seven Seals" is his last completed work and the most frequently performed. In his preface, the composer describes his work as an oratorio about the "fundamental antithesis" of good and evil. Musically, they are juxtaposed as harmony and dissonance. 

The Franz Schmidt Music School Perchtoldsdorf is organising a celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Celebration of the Franz Schmidt-Musikschule Perchtoldsdorf