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Unlocking the Masters #25
Richard Strauss: An Owner's Manual
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 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.
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 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.
- GenresMusic
204 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
About the author
David Hurwitz
29 books22 followersDavid Hurwitz (born 29 August 1961) is an American music critic and author who specializes in classical music.
Based in New York, he is the founder and executive editor of ClassicsToday.com and frequently reviews recordings there. Hurwitz has published numerous books, primarily guides on specific composers for the Amadeus Press "Unlocking the Masters" series, namely, Mahler, Mozart, Dvořák, Haydn, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bernstein, Strauss, C. P. E. Bach and Handel. Other publications include an introduction to classical music, two articles on the 19th-century use of vibrato as well as surveys on the symphonies of Beethoven (the 5th and 7th) and Brahms (all four). He was the chairman for the Cannes Classical Awards while it existed from 1994 to 2010.
In 2020 Hurwitz launched a YouTube channel on which he regularly posts video reviews and discographical surveys.
Based in New York, he is the founder and executive editor of ClassicsToday.com and frequently reviews recordings there. Hurwitz has published numerous books, primarily guides on specific composers for the Amadeus Press "Unlocking the Masters" series, namely, Mahler, Mozart, Dvořák, Haydn, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bernstein, Strauss, C. P. E. Bach and Handel. Other publications include an introduction to classical music, two articles on the 19th-century use of vibrato as well as surveys on the symphonies of Beethoven (the 5th and 7th) and Brahms (all four). He was the chairman for the Cannes Classical Awards while it existed from 1994 to 2010.
In 2020 Hurwitz launched a YouTube channel on which he regularly posts video reviews and discographical surveys.
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