Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss   1918

Painting: Max Liebermann

Source: All World Art

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'Don Juan'   Op 20 TrV 156   Tone Poem by Richard Strauss

Comp 1889   Premiere 11 Nov 1889 in Weimar

Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Georg Solti

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Considerably more popular than 'Don Juan' was Strauss' one-act opera, 'Salome' Op 54, which premiered on 9 December 1905 at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden. The libretto for 'Salome' was written by Strauss [IMSLP] after Hedwig Lachmann's translation of Oscar Wilde's play by the same name (Salomé) published in Français in 1891, English in 1894 [Wikipedia]. Set at the time of the tetrarch, Herod Antipas (son of King Herod), in 33 A.D., this story opens at a feast under the moon in the palace of Herodes (Herod Antipas) and his wife Herodias (his sister-in-law). As the daughter of Herodias, Salome is Herodes' niece and attracted to Jochanaan (John the Baptist) who rejects her as he is a prophet concerning Jesus with no interest in romance. Herodes, however, has designs on his niece and asks her to dance for him for the reward of anything she desires up to half his kingdom. She agrees and performs a dance of seven veils during which she gradually strips naked. Pleased by Salome's performnace, Herodes asks what she would have, to which she replies the head of Jochanaan on a silver platter (for rejecting her). Herodes, who something fears Jochanaan, would rather not, but Salome insists. Upon being presented with Jochanaan's severed head Salome begins to caress and kiss its bloody aspect. Herodes finds this detestable and orders his soldiers to kill her. 'Salome' was a fairly scandalous opera, which only made it the more popular, and the 'Dance of the Seven Veils' in its final scene is widely cited to this day.

'Salome'   Op 54 TrV 215   Opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1903-05   Premiere 9 Dec 1905 in Dresden

Libretto: Strauss

Weiner Philarmoniker / Karl Boehm

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'Dance of the Seven Veils'   Op 54 TrV 215   Opera by Richard Strauss

From the opera 'Salome'

Comp 1903-05   Premiere 9 Dec 1905 at Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Daniele Gatti

Salome: Malin Byström   Choreography: Wim Vandekeybus

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Also much esteemed is Strauss' first of seven operas with librettos by playwright, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, that being 'Elektra' Op 58 premiering at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden on 25 January 1909. Elektra is a tale of revenge. Set during the time of the Trojan War (about the turn of the 13th and 12th centuries B.C.), Elektra is the daughter of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. The opens with maids attempting to wash away the blood of Agamemnon where he was killed by axe due to a love plot between his wife, Klytämnestra, and her lover, Aegisth. Klytämnestra laughs off Elektra's intention to find who are responsible for her father's murder and avenge him. She hopes to accomplish such with the aid of Orest, her brother, who is away. Meanwhile Klytämnestra and Aegisth have plans to imprison Elektra. She then receives news of Orest's death. Elektra thus wants Chrysothemis, her sister, to help avenge their father's death but Chrysothemis declines. It turns out that the death of Orest was false news, such that he and Elektra reunite. Orest then kills both Klytämnestra and Aegisth. Unfortunately, Elektra's dance of triumph is what kills her as well.

'Elektra'   Op 58 TrV 223   Opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1906-08   Premiere 25 Jan 1909 at Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden

Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Wiener Philharmoniker / Karl Bohm   Elektra: Leonie Rysanek

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Come 'Der Rosenkavalier' ("The Knight of the Rose') Op 59 TrV 227 with another libretto by Hofmannsthal premiering at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden on 26 January 1911. This comic opera is set in Vienna during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa (1740 to 1780). It opens with the fictional character, Princess Marie Therese von Werdenberg, lounging in bed with a much younger lover, Octavian. The Princess is more commonly known as the Marschallin (wife of a field marshall). Come Baron Ochs to announce his engagement to one Sophie von Faninal, thus his need of a knight to deliver the traditional silver engagement rose to his bride-to-be. The Marschallin assigns Octavian to this task. But Sophie and Octavian fall in love, meaning a fight between he and Baron Ochs. Both survive the scrape with Ochs slightly wounded, after which Octavian sets a trap for Ochs, the latter receiving a message from one Mariandel, a chambermaid, asking to meet at a disreputable inn. They rendezvous, but Sophie soon arrives with her father as well, followed by the Marschallin, then Octavian. Ochs disappears something embarrassed and the Marschallin releases Octavian from their relationship in order to pursue his romance with younger Sophie.

'Der Rosenkavalier'   Op 59 TrV 227   Opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1909-10   Premiere 26 Jan 1911 at Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden

Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Wiener Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan   Salzburg Festival 1962

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Strauss is thought to have made his first piano rolls in late 1905, perhaps issued in February 1906. Discographical data for Strauss has been compiled by Peter Morse made available by ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections). Unfortunately, this extraordinary discography fundamental to Strauss has been removed from the internet. In this work Morse traces Strauss through 25 recording sessions on roll or flat disc, either playing piano or conducting, to as late as a September 1944 radio broadcast taped in either Vienna or Munich. Among titles issued in 1906 was 'Fragments' from 'Salome' on Welte-Mignon WM 1182. 'Dance of the Seven Veils' was issued on Welte-Mignon WM 1183. Morse doesn't have Strauss recording again until circa 1914 (World War I starts July 1914), making several rolls for Hupfeld. Circa December 1921 saw eight more rolls now for Ampico.

Strauss' tone poem, 'Eine Alpensinfonie' ('An Alpine Symphony') Op 64, saw its first performance in Berlin on 28 October 1915 with an orchestra of above 120 players. The first test pressing of a compact disc (CD) was of Herbert von Karajan conducting a performance of 'Eine Alpensinfonie' by the Berlin Philharmonic on 1-3 December 1980 [see Discogs]. The first commercial release of a compact disc was of Claudio Arrau performing waltzes by Chopin in 1979, transferred to CD 17 August 1982. The first commercially released compacts discs were in Japan [Wikipedia].

'Eine Alpensinfonie'   Op 64 TrV 233   Richard Strauss

Comp 1911-15   Premiere 28 Oct 1915 in Berlin

Frankfurt Radio Symphony / Andrés Orozco-Estrada   14 Oct 2016

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Morse (above) estimates autumn of 1917 when Strauss recorded his first string of 78 rpm flat discs for Gramophone, those including a version of 'Don Juan' in four parts issued on Deutschsprachige Grammophon 65856 and 65857 [audio]. Strauss would also later record for Polydor (issued on Brunswick), Columbia and HMV (Gramophone branch). Most of his records were recorded in Germany, also holding sessions in London. Morse has Strauss documenting 'Salome's Dance' in 2 parts in Chicago, Illinois, as well, that likely on 2-6 November 1921 for issue on Brunswick 50002. Strauss also recorded a couple parts of 'Der Burger als Edelmann' at that time toward issue on Brunswick 50017.

'Don Juan'   Op 64 TrV 233   Recording by Richard Strauss

1917   Grammophon 65856 / 65857

Berlin Hofkapelle

Raymond Holden

'Salome's Dance'   Part 1  Op 54 TrV 215   Recording by Richard Strauss

Nov 1921   Brunswick 50002

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Through the twenties up to the Third German Reich was the democratic period (not reich) of the Weimar Republic (1918-33) during which Strauss produced works for voice, chamber, opera, orchestra, a couple ballets and fanfares, as well as his song cycle, 'Die Tageszeiten' Op 76 TrV 256, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic on 21 July 1928 with the Wiener Schubertbund (Vienna Schubert Society).

'Die Tageszeiten' ('Times of Day')   Op 76 TrV 256   Choral song cycle by Richard Strauss

Comp 1928   Premiere 21 July 1928 in Vienna

Ernst-Senff Chor w the Dresdner Philarmonie / Michel Plasson

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Come Strauss' opera, 'Arabella' Op 79, on 1 July 1933, his last of six operas with text by Hofmannsthal. Set in Vienna during the 1860s, 'Arabella' is another of opera's favorite means of plot, that being the use of disguised identity (the history of opera is packed with masked balls). This time it is Arabella's sister, Zdenka, presenting herself as a male Zdenko which creates the confusion out of which "The End" arrives upon final clarity as to who is who. In this tale it is Matteo, a young officer, and Mandryka, a Croatian landowner, who must distinguish between Zdenka and Arabella.

'Arabella'   Op 79 TrV 263   Opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1930-32   Premiere 1 July 1933 at the Semperoper in Dresden

Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Coro di Roma della RAI w the Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma Della RAI / Wolfgang Rennert

Arabella: Montserrat Caballé   Mandryka: Siegmund Nimsgern

Matteo: René Kollo   Zdenka: Olivera Miljakovic

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The German Reich of which Adolf Hitler's was the Third from 1933 to 1945 per National Socialism also referred to Hitler's notion of a millennial-long realm that it was his to establish. That would come to less glory, however, than surrender to the Allies during World War II along with a bad reputation per the Jewish Holocaust. That is to say, though Strauss had continued working largely as usual through World War I, World War II wrought some disturbance. Albeit Strauss wasn't Nazi, he was made president of the Reichsmusikkammer (Reich Music Bureau) in November 1933, that when Jews were being excluded from musical positions in Germany. Complicating that detour was a Jewish daughter-in-law. Strauss complied with the ban on Jewish composers until 1935 when he curved with 'Die schweigsame Frau' ('The Silent Woman') Op 80 adorning a libretto by Stefan Zweig, a Jewish writer. Premiering at the Semperoper in Dresden on 24 June 1935, the opera was banished and Strauss dismissed from his posts at the Reichsmusikkammer and the Bayreuth Festival. He yet owned the influence, however, to rescue his daughter-in-law from fate at a concentration camp. His to save others in her family were unsuccessful. As for 'Die schweigsame Frau', this comic opera is set in a London suburb about 1760. Its main character is one Sir John Morosus, a retired naval captain who cannot bear noise due to having survived an explosion at sea. He is therefore seeking a quiet woman to marry. But darn, his long-lost nephew Henry comes visiting. Henry is part of an opera troupe, and opera is something that Morosus decidedly hates to such degree that he throws Henry and his troupe out of his house and disinherits him. Schneidebart, Morosus' barber, then meets with Henry, whence they devise a plan to show Morosus their true abilities as actors. Schneidebart then visits Morosus with three prospective brides from which to choose. Morosus does, and a sham wedding ensues. From this point onward Morosus must suffer the terrible woman (actress) he married, until Henry arrives to save him from her. The next day others of the troupe arrive as intolerably noisy craftsmen, along with "lawyers" who tell him that he must keep the woman he married. By this time Morosus is having a pretty miserable time of it. All ends well, however, when Henry finally reveals that everything has been an act ever since Schneidebart arrived with three prospective brides. Morosus gets angry, but then starts to laugh as he must admit that he was fooled well. He restores Henry to his inheritance, also blessing his marriage with Aminta (the horrible "wife" he chose).

'Die schweigsame Frau' ('The Silent Woman')   Op 80 TrV 265   Comic opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1932-35   Premiere 24 June 1935 at the Semperoper in Dresden

Libretto: Stefan Zweig after Ben Johnson

Bard Festival Chorale / James Bagwell

American Symphony Orchestra / Leon Botstein

Direction and set: Christian Räth

Choreography: David Neumann   Costumes: Mattie Ullrich

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Strauss' last opera to see performance in his lifetime was 'Capriccio' Op 85, arriving to the Nationaltheater in München on 28 October 1942, the Allies having yet to arrive to Germany. 'Capriccio' is one of Strauss' least popular works. Set in a château near Paris about 1775, the trouble is that Countess Madeleine has two prospective lovers from which to choose, a composer named Flamand and a poet named Olivier, but music and words go together, so she cannot.

'Capriccio' ('A Conversation Piece for Music')  Op 85 TrV 279   Opera by Richard Strauss

Comp 1940-41   Premiere 28 Oct 1942 at the Nationaltheater in Munich

Libretto: Strauss / Clemens Krauss

Wiener Staatsoper / Christoph Eschenbach

Direction and lights: Marco Arturo Marelli

Choreography: Lukas Gaudernak   Costumes: Dagmar Niefind

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Strauss began composing 'Metamorphosen' AV 142 TrV 290 in Vienna on 13 March 1945 beneath Soviet siege of the city, Vienna surrendering the day after Strauss completed his 23 studies for string instruments of which 'Metamorphosen' consists. The Allies claimed victory over the European theatre two months later, four months later in the Pacific per Japan's surrender. Paul Sacher conducted the premiere of 'Metamorphosen' in Zurich on 25 January 1946 after the War. Written for an orchestra of strings, Strauss took his inspiration for this work from Goethe's notions of metamorphoses in nature. Though it is regarded a masterpiece Strauss assigned it no Opus.

'Metamorphosen'   TrV 290   C minor   Richard Strauss

Comp 1944-45   Premiere 25 Jan 1946 in Zurich

Scored for 10 violins / 5 violas / 5 cellos / 3 basses

Norwegian Chamber Orchestra / Terje Tønnesen

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Among Strauss' final compositions was 'Allegretto' in E major for violin and piano AV 149 TrV 295 with a date of 5 August 1948. This is a short little piece of a minute and so. Strauss' last four songs weren't entirely so, though he composed his 'Four Last Songs' ('Vier Letzte Lieder') TrV 296 from 5 May to 20 September of 1948 with texts related to death by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff. Albeit completed in 1948, they didn't see performance, posthumous, until 22 May 1950 by soprano, Kirsten Flagstad, at Royal Albert Hall in London. They were published that year as a compiled unit by Ernst Roth. Strauss had intended to include 'Besinnung' ('Reflection') with another text by Hesse but it became "too complicated" to finish.

'Allegretto'   TrV 295  E major   Richard Strauss

Comp completed 5 Aug 1948

Piano: Andrew Armstrong   Violin: James Ehnes

IMSLP

'Vier Letzte Lieder' ('Four Last Songs')   TrV 296   Song cycle by Richard Strauss

Comp: 5 May 1948-20 Sep 1948

'Frühling' ('Spring')

'September'

'Beim Schlafengehen' ('When Falling Asleep')

'Im Abendrot' ('At Sunset')

Lyrics from Hesse / Eichendorff

Munich Radio Orchestra / Roberto Abbado   Soprano: Pamela Coburn

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Strauss' swan song (last song) was actually 'Malven' TrV 297 completed on 23 November 1948 to a text by Betty Wehrli-Knobel. Strauss had been creating sketches for his comic Singspiel (opera genre), 'Des Esels Schatten' ('The Donkey’s Shadow') AV 300 TrV 294 when he died on 8 September 1949, three weeks shy of the official announcement of the existence of the People's Republic of China on October 1 of 1949. 'The Donkey's Shadow' eventually saw posthumous performance on 7 April 1964 to a score completed by Karl Haußner. This comedy concerns a legal battle between the owner of a donkey and a dentist. In the meantime they forget to feed the donkey and it dies.

'Malven'   TrV 297   Song by Richard Strauss

Last finished composition

Completed: 23 Nov 1948

Lyrics: Betty Wehrli-Knobel

Piano: Martin Katz   Soprano: Kiri Te Kanawa

Fisher Hall in New York City   1985

New York Times   New York Times   Text   Roger Vignoles

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