Richard Strauss

The Profile

Richard Strauss (1864–1949) was a German composer and conductor, a leading figure of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is renowned for operas such as Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier, tone poems including Also sprach Zarathustra and Ein Heldenleben, and his late masterpiece Vier letzte Lieder.

Collaborated extensively with Hugo von Hofmannsthal (Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos) and also with Stefan Zweig (Die Schweigsame Frau). Served as president of the Reichsmusikkammer (1933–1935). Composed the Oboe Concerto (1945) and Vier letzte Lieder (1948). Born in Munich and died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The reviews praise Strauss’s operatic magnum opus era (Salome, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier) and late gems like the Oboe Concerto and Vier letzte Lieder. They highlight orchestral power, psychological depth, and his waltz-infused style. Librettists Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Stefan Zweig are central. Overall tone: admiring, lyrical, and engaged.