Well people,

I just carefully listened to the "Book of the Seven Seals." Another
neglected Late Romantic masterpiece? IMHO no.  Schmidt's craftsmanship as
a composer and orchestrator is beyond reproach, as was the performance, yet
the whole thing failed to take off for me.

Even the final "Hallelujah" chorus comes across as a little labored and
odd, (and not in a good, Janacekian odd kind of way).  Each consecutive
choral outburst on the word Hallelujah, (20-plus times!) is preceded by
a very impotent swirl of strings--it simply does *not* work.

"Seven Seals" seems to be modeled upon the English oratorio although Handel
and Elgar certainly knew better when to set down their cup of Earl Grey and
proceed to whip up an effective aural apocalypse.

Critics seem to admire Schmidt's dramatic restraint.  Was I hoping for the
excesses of Respighi? The grim contrapuntal splendor of Hindemith? The
unearthly polytonal musings of Britten? Mahlerian consolation?

Of course!

John Smyth