The life and music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949) span what was arguably
the most turbulent period in human history, encompassing the
Franco-Prussian War, the unification of Germany, and two world wars. He
was one of the very last composers to have started his career in service
to the old European aristocracy, but near the end of his life, the
continent lay in shambles, and he faced financial ruin even as he
remained Germany's greatest living composer. Virtually from the day they
were written, Strauss's tone poems from the late nineteenth century -
works such as Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Also Sprach Zarathustra, and
Death and Transfiguration - have been repertory standards. So have the
operas Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier. And yet a tremendous
quantity of very good music, both early and late, has only recently come
to the attention of musicians and music lovers alike. This "owner's
manual " accompanied by a full-length CD, surveys all the major works
with orchestra: symphonies, concertos, tone poems, operas, ballets,
suites, and songs. Many of them will be new even to listeners familiar
with the popular pieces, part of a vast legacy of immaculately crafted,
beautiful music that deserves to be rediscovered and treasured.