Erich Korngold was born in Austria when it was still the Empire, in 1897. His father wanted to create a musician out of him, and called him Wolfgang, after that most famous of all Viennese composers. After some innovative works in his early youth, Korngold was asked in the thirties to do Hollywood scoring work. He didn’t come back, going into exile because of his Jewish background.
In Los Angeles he was very influential in film music, creating the sound for swash-buckling movies. However, after the war his music was deemed old fashioned and too traditional. Only in the 70s his music was rediscovered. Nowadays he is seen as a bridge between the Viennese school and Hollywood.
His opus 10 was written during the First World War, but it is not shadowed by that terrible event. Instead it is a sweet, Mahler like composition. This recording is a bit disappointing though.