Wiener Konzertchor/Orf Vrso - Egon Wellesz: Die opferung des gefangenen (The Sacrifice of the Prisoner)

In musical terms, Die Opferung des Gefangenen shows Egon Wellesz at the height of his creativity, aesthetically emancipated from his mentor Schoenberg as he continued to evolve his own, unmistakable musical voice. The events of 12 March 1938 put a sudden end to this highly successful career: as a Jew, monarchist and writer of �degenerate music�, the 53-year-old musician was immediately removed from all of his posts and pursued by the police after �the seizure of power�. Following a long illness, Wellesz died in Oxford in 1974.