Of all the artistic losses due to the rise of facism, perhaps the greatest were those of Richard Strauss'. His association with the Nazi party has been debated since the 1930's, and will probably be debated for generations to come. Strauss, along with the great German philosopher Friedric Nietzsche, have been linked to the fascist movement through the Nazi propaganda that used their works. It is a well known fact that propagandists of the time, on occasion, used great works of artistic value as central themes. The works were used not because of any message that they, or their creators, may have carried, but only because they were "German". The concept of the "Ubermensch" (super-man) as believed by Nietzsche had absolutely nothing to do with one "person, "race", or "nationality" being "superior" to any other. The philosophy was based on the idea that each and every human being was endowed with spiritual and emotional power. With this individual power no person was subserviant to any other person, or group of persons (i.e. governments and organized religions). Richard Strauss was a firm believer in this philosophy, and in spite of what has been written about him, tried every thing in his power to make it the central part of his life.
Richard Strauss was born 6-11-1864 in Munich, Germany. The pre-eminent German composer-conductor is best known for his operas and tone poems. His father was Franz Strauss, Germany's leading horn player. Young Strauss was playing the piano by the age of 4, composing by age 6, and studying theory and composition by age 11. At the age of 20, he made his conducting debut, without rehearsal, in Munich in 1884. This led to his first appointment as Hans von Bulow's assistant with the Meiningen Court Orchestra. After a month, Bulow left him in charge.
In 1886, Strauss became third conductor at the Munich Opera and a musical assistant for the 1889 and 1891 Bayreuth Festivals. A second conductorship at Weimar enabled him to astonish the world with the performance of his tone poem "Don Juan" (1888). His first (thoroughly Wagnerian) opera "Guntram", was performed at Weimar in 1894. During rehearsal for the opera Strauss began a relationship with the lead soprano, Pauline de Ahna. After one of her notorious tantrums, Strauss announced their engagement to marry.
That autumn he became court conductor of the Munich Opera. His wife encouraged his work at composing, and he wrote the tone poems "Till Eulenspiegel" (1895), "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (1896) (based upon Nietzsche's book of the same name), "Don Quixote" (1897), and "Ein Heldenleben" (1898).
From 1900, Strauss concentrated on operas. The cynical "Feuersnot" of 1901 was followed by the more advanced "Salome" (1905), and the powerful "Elektra" (1909). The crowning glory, "Der Rosenkavalier" (1911), brought fortunes to both Strauss and his librettist, the Austrian poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. "Ariadne auf Naxos" (1912) followed, then a cumbersome ballet for Serge Diaghilev, "Josephlegende" (1914), performed in Paris and London on the eve of World War I.
Intending to devote the rest of his life to composition, Strauss, at the age of 50 in 1914, was entirely thwarted by the loss of his fortune, invested in London. Then began a decline with the superficial "Alpine Symphony" (1915) and the complex, though beautiful, "Frau ohne Schatten" (1919). He was a founder of the Salzburg Festivals in 1917 with Hofmannsthal and Max Reinhardt. He then became codirector of the Vienna Opera. Strauss sought a change from Hofmannsthal by writing his own libretto for "Intermezzo" (1924), an opera based on personal experience. The partnership with Hofmannsthal resumed with "Die aegyptische Helena" (1928) and "Arabella" (1929), just completed by Hofmannsthal before he suddenly died.
Strauss then set "Die schweigsame Frau" (1931) to a libretto by Stefan Zweig (banned by the Nazis, in 1935, after two performances because Zweig was Jewish). Strauss became unwontedly involved in political conflict and was expelled as head of the Reichsmusikkammer. His music was even banned for a year. Because his daughter-in-law and grandsons were of Jewish ancestry, Strauss was forced to make a deal with the Nazis for their protection but was denied visits to Switzerland for his own health.
After the war, Strauss was welcomed back the musical world in London with a festival organized by Sir Thomas Beecham. His later compositions were some of his most inspirational. They include the opera "Capriccio" (1942), the threnody for strings "Metamorphosen" (1945), the Oboe Concerto (1945), and Four Last Songs (1948).
-- David E. Coy
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Added: 15 November 2000