Franz Schmidt: The Book With Seven Seals - Sacred Oratorio Sheet Music for Choirs & Soloists | Perfect for Easter Performances & Classical Music Concerts

The recorded sound captures the work very well. It is both clear and resonant. Much of the work sounds like a 19th century oratorio. It has recitatives from time to time. It is generally beautiful and consonant reflecting one might guess the musical vernacular of church music of the time. It is accomplished with great stylistic fluency.The composer is master of his idiom. Here and there are slightly turbulent episodes with very skillful instrumental scoring but even more descriptive music would seem appropriate for so vivid a text. There are interludes for organ.The performers sound like they are very much at one with the work. They get the expression right throughout. The soloists include Robert Holl and Thomas Moser. The performance shows great care and commitment.If you want to follow the words these can be found and the web address put into a browser that does translations. The Hochstrasser recording has a booklet with minute print that does not have the text of the work. I found the performance musically engaging without the words. Hochstrasser breaths new life into the work.