Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was born on June 11, 1864, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Confederation, into a family with deep musical roots. His father, Franz Strauss, was the principal horn player of the Munich Court Orchestra, and his mother came from the prominent Pschorr brewing family. Strauss began composing at the age of six and had created over 140 works by the time he turned 18.
Strauss's early career was significantly influenced by Hans von Bülow, who appointed him as assistant conductor at the Meiningen Court Orchestra. Strauss later held conducting positions at the Munich Court Opera, Weimar Court Orchestra, Royal Court Opera in Berlin, and the Vienna State Opera. His conducting career paralleled his rise as a composer, with his first major success being the tone poem "Don Juan" in 1889.
Strauss is best known for his tone poems and operas, which are considered staples of the orchestral and operatic repertoire. His notable tone poems include "Death and Transfiguration," "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks," "Also sprach Zarathustra," and "An Alpine Symphony." His operas, often in collaboration with librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, include "Salome," "Elektra," "Der Rosenkavalier," and "Ariadne auf Naxos."
Strauss married soprano Pauline de Ahna in 1894, and they had a son named Franz. Despite the challenges posed by World War I, Strauss continued to compose, creating works such as "Die Frau ohne Schatten" and the "Krämerspiegel" lieder.
Strauss's later years were marked by continued creativity, producing works like "Metamorphosen" and the "Four Last Songs." He passed away on September 8, 1949, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, West Germany, leaving behind a legacy as one of the leading composers of the late Romantic and early modern eras.
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