Paris is gripped by fear. A series of murders is leaving a bloody trail through the city. Enter the world of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella Das Fräulein von Scuderi, published in 1819 and often cited as one of the earliest German crime stories. And even though the story is set in the Paris of Louis XIV, the work has a deeply romantic quality, driven by a fascination with genius, coupled with dark passions and terrible crimes. In 1925, Hindemith came into contact with the publicist and poet Ferdinand Lion. To Lion’s libretto, and influenced by the New Objectivity movement’s push against expressionism, Paul Hindemith set music that, for all its modernity, consciously takes up historical forms, bringing them into play in a neo-Baroque manner. This release captures the Vienna State Opera’s highly acclaimed, star-studded performance in a gripping, live, premiere recording.