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I am still amazed and deeply satisfied when I "discover" yet another lost composer of serious skill and interest. Walter Braunfels is the latest. His vintage is the Richard Strauss, late Brahms, Busoni era (that is, late German Romantic). He had a serious presence in the German music culture both pre and post-Hitler (he got tangled up in the Nazi mess as he was half Jewish). There are several recent recording projects on the CPO, Capriccio and Dutton labels -- all of which can be listened to on Amazon HD, and most likely other streaming services as well.
His music is really quite accomplished and, while of a style, not particularly derivative to my ear. There are moments when he sounds like a GREAT composer -- I recommend him highly! Start with the Piano Works, the Great Mass and Phantastische Erscheinungen eines Themas von Hector Berlioz (orchestral variations). There are also many vocal works and at least one opera (Die Vogel, after Aristophanes' The Birds) to explore.
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I have several CDs of his music including the Decca "Die Vogel" and enjoy them very much, but admittedly, I haven't been able to listen to the opera straight through at one sitting.
Of all the overlooked "hot-house" composers, (many of whom were featured in Decca's Entartete series), I'd still put Schreker and Novak at the top of my own personal list, but Braunfels is up there as well.
It introduced me to several composers, I'll add Krenek to your pairing, but I missed Braunfels -- and that is a BIG miss. There are two books that go alongside these composers, both very good. Michael Hass (no relation to Pavel AFAIK) "Forbidden Music" and Michael Kater "The Twisted Muse" -- both books right on point for the topic!
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