Franz Schmidt (December 22, 1874 – February 11, 1939) was an Austrian composer, cellist and pianist.

Schmidt was born in Bratislava (at that time called Pressburg: now in Slovakia). He briefly studied piano with Theodor Leschetizky, with whom he clashed. He moved to Vienna with his family in 1888, and studied at the Conservatory there (composition with Robert Fuchs, cello with Ferdinand Hellmesberger and theory with Anton Bruckner), graduating "with excellence" in 1896. He beat 13 other applicants in obtaining a post as cellist with the Vienna Court Opera Orchestra, with whom he played, often under Mahler, until 1914. Mahler would habitually have all the cello solos played by Schmidt, even though Friedrich Buxbaum was actually the principal cellist. Schmidt was also in demand as a chamber musician, playing in the string quartet led by Arnold Schoenberg’s close friend Oskar Adler, who also became Schmidt’s doctor: Schmidt and Schoenberg maintained cordial relations despite their vast differences in style. In 1914 he took up a professorship (in piano) at the State Academy of Music. In 1925 he became Director of the Academy, and in 1927 Rector. Schmidt's worsening health forced his retirement from the Academy in early 1937. He died on 11 February 1939.

As a composer, Schmidt was slow to develop, but his reputation, at least in Austria, saw a steady growth from the late 1890s until his death in 1939. Schmidt worked mainly in large forms, including four symphonies (1899, 1913, 1928 and 1933) and two operas: Notre Dame (1904-6) and Fredigundis (1916-21). He also composed two string quartets (1925, 1929), a piano quintet (1926) and two quintets for clarinet, string trio and piano (left hand) (1932, 1938); Concertante Variations on a Theme of Beethoven for piano (left hand) and orchestra (1923); a piano concerto (1934); Variations on a Hussar's Song for orchestra (1930); a quantity of important organ music, including the Prelude and Fugue in E flat (1924), the Toccata (1924), the Chaconne (1925, orchestrated 1931) and the Prelude and Fugue in C (1927). His crowning achievement was the oratorio Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals)(1935-37), a setting of the Book of Revelation although the Intermezzo from Notre Dame and the Fourth Symphony are probably his best known works.

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Wiener Philharmoniker - N. Harnoncourt: Franz Schmidt: "Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln". Aus der Offenbarung des Johan... http://bit.ly/73BLZW
meetix (meetix.at) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:06:08 -0000
Wiener Philharmoniker - N. Harnoncourt: Franz Schmidt: "Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln". Aus der Offenbarung des Johan... http://bit.ly/73BLZW
I wanted to buy tickets for "Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln" by Franz schmidt (Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, harnoncourt) but it's sold out :(
Harplady93 (Anabelle Hiller) Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:53:20 -0000
I wanted to buy tickets for "Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln" by Franz schmidt (Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, harnoncourt) but it's sold out :(

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