Editing Franz Schmidt (composer) (section)

===''The Book with Seven Seals''===
{{main|The Book with Seven Seals}}
Aside from the mature symphonies (Nos. 2–4), Schmidt's crowning achievement was the [[oratorio]] ''The Book with Seven Seals'' (1935–37), a setting of passages from the [[Book of Revelation]]. His choice of subject was prophetic: with hindsight the work appears to foretell, in the most powerful terms, the disasters that were shortly to be visited upon Europe in the Second World War. Here his invention rises to a sustained pitch of genius. A narrative upon the text of the oratorio was provided by the composer.<ref>F. Schmidt, Einige Bemerkungen zum Text des Oratoriums (Written for the original production). Reproduced in insert booklet to recording, Amadeo LP set AVRS 5004/5005 St, cond. [[Anton Lippe]], [[Munich Philharmonic]], [[Graz|Grazer]] Domchor, [[Franz Illenberger]] (organ), with [[Julius Patzak]] (Evangelist), [[Otto Wiener (baritone)|Otto Wiener]] (Voice of God), [[Hanny Steffek]], [[Hertha Töpper]], [[Erich Majkut]], [[Frederick Guthrie (bass)|Frederick Guthrie]]. Recorded Stephaniesaal, Graz, January 1962.</ref>

Schmidt's oratorio stands in the Austro-German tradition stretching back to the time of J. S. Bach and [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]]. He was one of relatively few composers to write an oratorio fully on the subject of the Book of Revelation (earlier works include [[Georg Philipp Telemann]]: ''Der Tag des Gerichts'', Schneider: ''Das Weltgericht'', [[Louis Spohr]]: ''Die letzten Dinge'', [[Joachim Raff]]: ''Weltende'', and [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]]: ''Sancta Civitas''). Far from glorifying its subject, it is a mystical contemplation, a horrified warning, and a prayer for salvation. The premiere was held in Vienna on 15 June 1938, with the [[Vienna Symphony Orchestra]] under [[Oswald Kabasta]]: the soloists were [[Rudolf Gerlach-Rusnak|Rudolf Gerlach]] (John), Erika Rokyta, [[Enid Szánthó]], [[Anton Dermota]], [[Josef von Manowarda]] and Franz Schütz at the organ.