Richard Georg Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, particularly of operas, Lieder and tone poems. Strauss was also a prominent conductor.
To Richard Strauss went the honour of being the composer of the music on the first compact disc ever commercially released: Herbert von Karajan's 1980 recording of the Alpine Symphony, released by Deutsche Grammophon in 1983.
To Richard Strauss went the honour of being the composer of the music on the first compact disc ever commercially released: Herbert von Karajan's 1980 recording of the Alpine Symphony, released by Deutsche Grammophon in 1983.
History
Strauss was born on 11 June 1864, in Munich, the son of Franz Strauss, who was the principal horn player at the Court Opera in Munich. He received a thorough, but conservative, musical education from his father in his youth, writing his first music at the age of six. He continued to write music almost until his death.
During his boyhood he had the good fortune to be able to attend orchestra rehearsals of the Munich Court Orchestra, and he also received private instruction in music theory and orchestration from an assistant conductor there. In 1874 Strauss heard his first Wagner operas, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser and Siegfried; the influence of Wagner's music on Strauss's style was to be profound, but at first his father forbade him to study it: it was not until the age of 16 that he was able to obtain a score of Tristan und Isolde. Indeed, in the Strauss household the music of Richard Wagner was considered inferior. Later in life, Richard Strauss said and wrote that he deeply regretted this.
In 1882 he entered Munich University, where he studied philosophy and art history, but not music. Nevertheless, he left a year later to go to Berlin, where he studied briefly before securing a post as assistant conductor to Hans von Bülow, taking over from him at Meiningen when von Bülow resigned in 1885. His compositions around this time were quite conservative, in the style of Robert Schumann or Felix Mendelssohn, true to his father's teachings. His Horn Concerto No. 1 (1882–1883) is representative of this period and is still regularly played.
Richard Strauss married soprano Pauline de Ahna on 10 September 1894. She was famous for being bossy, ill-tempered, eccentric and outspoken, but the marriage was happy, and she was a great source of inspiration to him. Throughout his life, from his earliest songs to the final Four Last Songs of 1948, he would prefer the soprano voice to all others. Nearly every major operatic role that Strauss wrote is for a soprano.
Strauss was born on 11 June 1864, in Munich, the son of Franz Strauss, who was the principal horn player at the Court Opera in Munich. He received a thorough, but conservative, musical education from his father in his youth, writing his first music at the age of six. He continued to write music almost until his death.
During his boyhood he had the good fortune to be able to attend orchestra rehearsals of the Munich Court Orchestra, and he also received private instruction in music theory and orchestration from an assistant conductor there. In 1874 Strauss heard his first Wagner operas, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser and Siegfried; the influence of Wagner's music on Strauss's style was to be profound, but at first his father forbade him to study it: it was not until the age of 16 that he was able to obtain a score of Tristan und Isolde. Indeed, in the Strauss household the music of Richard Wagner was considered inferior. Later in life, Richard Strauss said and wrote that he deeply regretted this.
In 1882 he entered Munich University, where he studied philosophy and art history, but not music. Nevertheless, he left a year later to go to Berlin, where he studied briefly before securing a post as assistant conductor to Hans von Bülow, taking over from him at Meiningen when von Bülow resigned in 1885. His compositions around this time were quite conservative, in the style of Robert Schumann or Felix Mendelssohn, true to his father's teachings. His Horn Concerto No. 1 (1882–1883) is representative of this period and is still regularly played.
Richard Strauss married soprano Pauline de Ahna on 10 September 1894. She was famous for being bossy, ill-tempered, eccentric and outspoken, but the marriage was happy, and she was a great source of inspiration to him. Throughout his life, from his earliest songs to the final Four Last Songs of 1948, he would prefer the soprano voice to all others. Nearly every major operatic role that Strauss wrote is for a soprano.
Works
* Op. 1, Festmarsch for large orchestra
* Op. 2, String Quartet in A
* Op. 3, Five Piano Pieces
* Op. 4, Suite in Bb for 13 wind instruments
* Op. 5, Sonata in b for piano
* Op. 6, Sonata in F for cello and piano
* Op. 7, Serenade in Eb for wind ensemble
* Op. 8, Concerto in d for violin and orchestra
* Op. 9, Stimmungsbilder for piano
* Op. 10, Eight Poems for high voice and piano
1. Zueignung (Ja, du weißt es, teure Seele)
2. Nichts (Nennen soll ich)
3. Die Nacht (Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht)
4. Die Georgine (Warum so spät erst, Georgine?)
5. Geduld (Geduld, sagst du und zeigst mit weißem Finger)
6. Die Verschwiegenen (Ich habe wohl)
7. Die Zeitlose (Auf frischgemähtem Weideplatz)
8. Allerseelen (Stell auf den Tisch die duftenden Reseden)
* Op. 11, Concerto in Eb major for horn and orchestra (or piano)
* Op. 12, Symphony in f
* Op. 13, Piano Quartet in c
* Op. 14, Wandrers Sturmlied for six-part choir and orchestra
* Op. 15, Five Songs for middle and high voice and piano
1. Madrigal (Ins Joch beug' ich den Nacken)
2. Winternacht (Mit Regen und Sturmgebrause)
3. Lob des Leidens (Oh schmäht des Lebens Leiden nicht!)
4. Aus den Liedern der Trauer (Dem Herzen ähnlich)
5. Heimkehr (Leiser schwanken die Äste)
* Op. 16, Aus Italien, Symphonic Fantasy for orchestra
* Op. 17, Six Songs for high voice and piano
1. Seitdem dein Aug' in meines schaute
2. Ständchen (Mach' auf)
3. Das Geheimnis (Du fragst mich, Mädchen)
4. Aus den Liedern der Trauer (Von dunklem Schleier umsponnen)
5. Nur Mut! (Laß das Zagen)
6. Barkarole (Um der fallenden Ruder Spitzen)
* Op. 18, Sonata in Eb for violin and piano
* Op. 19, Six Songs for voice and piano
1. Wozu noch, Mädchen, soll es frommen
2. Breit über mein Haupt dein schwarzes Haar
3. Schön sind, doch kalt die Himmelssterne
4. Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten
5. Hoffen und wieder verzagen
6. Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt
* Op. 20, Don Juan, Symphonic Poem for orchestra
* Op. 1, Festmarsch for large orchestra
* Op. 2, String Quartet in A
* Op. 3, Five Piano Pieces
* Op. 4, Suite in Bb for 13 wind instruments
* Op. 5, Sonata in b for piano
* Op. 6, Sonata in F for cello and piano
* Op. 7, Serenade in Eb for wind ensemble
* Op. 8, Concerto in d for violin and orchestra
* Op. 9, Stimmungsbilder for piano
* Op. 10, Eight Poems for high voice and piano
1. Zueignung (Ja, du weißt es, teure Seele)
2. Nichts (Nennen soll ich)
3. Die Nacht (Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht)
4. Die Georgine (Warum so spät erst, Georgine?)
5. Geduld (Geduld, sagst du und zeigst mit weißem Finger)
6. Die Verschwiegenen (Ich habe wohl)
7. Die Zeitlose (Auf frischgemähtem Weideplatz)
8. Allerseelen (Stell auf den Tisch die duftenden Reseden)
* Op. 11, Concerto in Eb major for horn and orchestra (or piano)
* Op. 12, Symphony in f
* Op. 13, Piano Quartet in c
* Op. 14, Wandrers Sturmlied for six-part choir and orchestra
* Op. 15, Five Songs for middle and high voice and piano
1. Madrigal (Ins Joch beug' ich den Nacken)
2. Winternacht (Mit Regen und Sturmgebrause)
3. Lob des Leidens (Oh schmäht des Lebens Leiden nicht!)
4. Aus den Liedern der Trauer (Dem Herzen ähnlich)
5. Heimkehr (Leiser schwanken die Äste)
* Op. 16, Aus Italien, Symphonic Fantasy for orchestra
* Op. 17, Six Songs for high voice and piano
1. Seitdem dein Aug' in meines schaute
2. Ständchen (Mach' auf)
3. Das Geheimnis (Du fragst mich, Mädchen)
4. Aus den Liedern der Trauer (Von dunklem Schleier umsponnen)
5. Nur Mut! (Laß das Zagen)
6. Barkarole (Um der fallenden Ruder Spitzen)
* Op. 18, Sonata in Eb for violin and piano
* Op. 19, Six Songs for voice and piano
1. Wozu noch, Mädchen, soll es frommen
2. Breit über mein Haupt dein schwarzes Haar
3. Schön sind, doch kalt die Himmelssterne
4. Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten
5. Hoffen und wieder verzagen
6. Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt
* Op. 20, Don Juan, Symphonic Poem for orchestra
Annen Polka - Strauss