Quo vadis?

About

A historical concert performance of Felix Nowowiejski’s Quo vadis?, Op. 30, took place on 12 April 1916 in the Great Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. Conducted by Hans Wagner-Schönkirch and featuring soprano Gertrude Förstel and baritone Franz Steiner, the event assembled the large forces the oratorio demands: soloists, chorus, orchestra, and organ. Quo vadis? enjoyed enormous international popularity in the early 20th century following its 1909 success, and the Vienna presentation occurred amid World War I, when grand-scale concerts often supported relief causes. The Musikverein’s acoustics and capacity provided an apt setting for Nowowiejski’s dramatic, four-scene oratorio.