Schmidt, Franz

Although many of his compositions were completed in the 20th century, Austrian Franz Schmidt (1874-1939) was of the late Romantic school. Much of his music was neglected because of his politics (he often championed fascism) but later underwent a minor revival. Noted compositions include the opera Notre-Dame; based on the story of the Hunchback, his Fourth Symphony, a requiem honoring his daughter who died in childbirth; and the oratorio Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book of the Seven Seals).