Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss and Hitler's Reich.

I have always loved the music of Richard Strauss. It was an incredible blow to learn that he had been involved with the Nazi party, which I first learned at MasterWorks. I remember hearing that it was theorized that the Metamorphosen for 23 Strings was composed in memoriam for Adolf Hitler. This was during the time when I did not listen to Richard Wagner's works because of his strong antisemitism. I did finally come around to giving Wagner another chance, but while I enjoyed Das Rheingold, after about 10 minutes of nonstop music I greatly missed the regular structure of arias and recitative. It's too much work and not enough reward.

By comparison, however, I still love Strauss. Der Rosenkavalier is a very busy opera musically, and I am overwhelmed when I just listen to it, but I am so glad that I went to see it performed my last night in Vienna. It's an opera you really have to see as well as hear. But listening to Also Sprach Zarathustra is like heaven. I don't know why anyone would want to stop listening after the opening minute and a half. His tone poems are so evocative and engaging. The sheep in Don Quixote sound like sheep. The story of Till Eulenspiegel is amazingly clear through the music. And performing Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration) was a major highlight of all my orchestral experiences. The ending is powerfully moving.

So I am very pleased to read this article about Richard Strauss' relationship with the Nazi regime, which removes Strauss from being a Nazi supporter. I am especially glad to hear that the theory of his Metamorphosen for 23 Strings being dedicated or in memoriam to Hitler has been strongly opposed. It is widely believed that it is more of a lament for the decline of German culture through World War II, and in particular the destruction and bombing of Munich. If it is in memoriam for anyone in particular, many believe that it was for Beethoven. So now I can breath a little easier knowing that one of my favorite composers wasn't a Nazi.

I discovered his Piano Quartet, an earlier work of his, which is a gem. But now I will finally listen to his Metamorphosen for 23 Strings.

I have come to the opinion that life is too short to experience everything that is worthwhile, and that it's much better to choose a select number of things to master and thoroughly absorb. The books of John Steinbeck are one of those things for me. The music of Richard Strauss is another.