The I'm Addicted To Richard Strauss Thread

This thread is for all of you who love Richard Strauss' music. If you don't like his music, then please state why.

I regard Richard Strauss as one of the finest composers of all-time. His music has inspired many and will continue to do so. His symphonic poems and concerti are simply outstanding. Also his orchestration is just unbelievable.

If you enjoy his music, then this is the place to come.

My R. Strauss collection (so far):


- Orchestral Works (9-CD set)
Orch: Dresden Staatskapelle
Cond: Rudolf Kempe
Label: EMI

- Symphonia Domestica (Hybrid SACD)
Orch: Chicago Symphony
Cond: F. Reiner
Label: RCA

- Don Quixote; Eulenspiegel: Merry Pranks (Karajan Gold Edition-Very Rare)
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Herbert von Karajan
Label: DG

- Zarathustra; Don Juan; 4 Last Songs, etc. (2-CD set)
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Herbert von Karajan
Label: DG

- Metamorphosen/Tod und Verklarung (Metamorphoses/Death and Transfiguration)
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Herbert von Karajan
Label: DG

-The Essential Richard Strauss (4-CD set)
Orch: Vienna Philharmonic
Cond: Andre Previn
Label: Telarc

-Sinfonia Domestica; Death and Transfiguration
Orch: Bavarian Radio Symphony
Cond: Lorin Maazel
Label: RCA

-Orchestral Works (7-CD set)
Orch: Zurich Tonhalle Orch.
Cond; David Zinman
Label; Arte Nova

-Ein Heldenleben; Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Orch: Berlin Philharmonic
Cond: Herbert von Karajan
Label: DG

-Symphonic Poems, Vol. 1 (2-CD set)
Orch: Scottish National Orch.
Cond: Neeme Jarvi
Label: Chandos

-Symphonic Poems, Vol. 2 (2-CD set)
Orch: Scottish National Orch.
Cond: Neeme Jarvi
Label: Chandos

-Symphonic Poems, Vol. 3
Orch: Scottish National Orch.
Cond: Neeme Jarvi
Label: Chandos

I'm not a big fan of the Romantic era, but Strauss is one of my favorite composers. For me, his genius was in his masterful combination of long melodies (which give his music an emotional appeal) and short motifs (which give his music intellectual depth). As far as the orchestral works go, Ein Heldenleben and the Four Last Songs are my favorites.

But I think it's impossible, MI, to appreciate Strauss without his operas. They far surpass the orchestral works both in their use of instrumental and vocal color and their metamorphosis of motifs. So I hope you give at least a couple of his operas a listen- Salomé and Ariadne Auf Naxos are my favorites.

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Take a look at the Bandit's blog, Americana Avenue.

Yes, I agree Buddha. Strauss' music is fantastic and it's totally unique too. Nobody sounds like Strauss. I was actually listening to "Don Juan" today and just blown away by it. It's almost like I'm finally hearing everything that's beautiful about his music at last. I was a big fan of Strauss the moment I heard his "Oboe Concerto," which for me, is one of the finest concertos composed for the oboe in the repertoire. But I haven't been disappointed in any piece I've heard by Strauss and I've most of them with the exception of the operas and chamber works.

I wish I could get into opera, but I'm not an opera fan at all. I do enjoy choral works with orchestral accompaniment, but that's about as far as I go with the human voice in terms of classical music.

The Oboe Concerto is very good. I like Cimarosa's and Hummel's more, but Strauss' is one of the best Romantic ones I've heard. And, MI, you might want to find a disc of orchestral excerpts from Strauss' operas- the "Dance of the Seven Veils" from Salomé and the waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier are the most famous- they're as good as many of the tone poems.

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Take a look at the Bandit's blog, Americana Avenue.

Malcolm Arnold, Vaughan Williams, and Alwyn also wrote outstanding Oboe Concertos.

Anyway, getting back to Strauss, I'm just not keen on operas, so I'll just stick with his orchestral works. I'm not particularly impressed with much of the music found in operas, except the overtures, which, depending on the composer, are quite good like Wagner, for example.

A reasonably attractive Richard Strauss collection, on your part.

Here's mine:

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks: Frederick Stock, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Death & Transfiguation: Désiré Defauw, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Ein Heldenleben, Don Juan: Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Also Sprach Zarathustra, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite, Der Rosenkavalier Waltzes: Fritz Reiner,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Don Quixote, Burleske: Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Ein Heldenleben: Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

(Chicago Symphony Orchestra! w00t!!)

However, to this I must add-

Excerpts from Death & Transfiguration: Willem Mengelberg, New York Philharmonic

Dance of the Seven Veils: Arturo Toscanini, New York Philharmonic

Sinfonia Domestica: Bruno Walter, New York Philharmonic

Sie woll'n mich heiraten... Un du wirst mein Geliebter sein" from Arabella: Rothenberger/Fischer-Dieskau, Daniel Barenboim- Philadelphia Orchestra.

Metamorphosen: Esa-Pekka Salonen, NEW STOCKHOLM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA.

Der Rosenkavalier (complete): Bernard Haitink, Dresden Staatskapelle.

Pssst: I also have study-scores for 'Don Juan' 'Death & Transfiguration' 'Don Quixote'
'Till Eulenspiegel' 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' and 'Ein Heldenleben.'

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The hardest knife ill us'd doth lose his edge. Shakespeare- Sonnet 95

For me, Karajan, Kempe, and Jarvi really do the trick. I'll seriously doubt I'll find anyone to top these conductors.

I've never particularly liked R. Strauss... he has great melodies, great orchestration, etc., but I've never come away from listening to anything of his feeling moved in any way. I'll have to look into the operas...

Fritz Reiner is virtually the only conductor who makes me actually like Strauss' orchestral works to any degree... his recordings of Strauss are virtually definitive.

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"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler

To each their own. Reiner did a decent job with Strauss. He's not my favorite Strauss conductor. Reiner's Bartok, on the hand, is whole different ballgame.

Anyway, I love Strauss' music and the more I listen to him, the more I enjoy him. I think "Don Juan" and "Eine Alpensinfonie" are two of the greatest symphonic poems ever composed.

I haven't heard "Eine Alpensinfonie," but Don Juan I certainly have, and it is a very impressive piece. Not moving in the least, but at its best it's remarkably impactful - my reference for this of course being Reiner/CSO.

You mean not moving TO YOU. I'm very moved by the piece. I find it emotionally and intellectually satsifying.

Yes, that is what I meant, I'm sorry for not making that distinction.

I agree with Mirror Image on the Karajan. I have the disk that has Death and Transfiguration, and also the one that has Eine Alpensinfonie, and they are both fantastic as far as I'm concerned. (Especially the first one.)

Two can play that game...You mean you'll not find anyone to top these conductors, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

So... rather than go down that road, what say we recognize that subjective statements entered into the record by posters are all made from that particular poster's standpoint, and leave it at that?!

Now, on to one of my two favorite posters from Arkansas, haydnguy!
Actually, I only KNOW two posters from Arkansas- but no matter, I'm very grateful both of you spend time here!

One of my early, Days of Vinyl collection memories was a Karajan Don Juan. I think that Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet was on the other side of the LP. It was a positive memory.

Anyway, I was listening to Strauss' "Macbeth" last night and this is a great piece as well. I'm getting read to listen to "Aus Italien," which is another great piece of music.