Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was an Austro-Hungarian-born composer who grew up in Vienna and became one of the most celebrated child prodigies in music history - Gustav Mahler called him a genius after hearing his cantata at age twelve. His opera Die tote Stadt (1920) brought him international fame, and after fleeing Nazi persecution he reshaped Hollywood film music, winning Academy Awards for Anthony Adverse (1936) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
The Erich Wolfgang Korngold Werkausgabe (EWK-WA), a comprehensive critical edition of his complete works published with Schott Music, is actively ongoing, with updates posted as recently as August 2026.
A new production of Die tote Stadt opened at the Staatstheater Mainz in October 2025.
The Opernhaus Zürich staged a new production of Die tote Stadt directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, premiering in late April 2025.
A world premiere of Die tote Stadt: Symphonic Fragments, a new orchestral suite arranged by Thomas Dorsch, was performed by the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock under Marcus Bosch on February 23, 2025.
Supertrain Records released a double CD in January 2025 featuring a previously unreleased broadcast of Korngold's Symphony in F-sharp.
