Richard Strauss. A Concise Biography

Your Playlist:

Description

This program from the Famous Composers series introduces the life and work of German composer Richard Strauss, born to a horn player, Franz Strauss, in 1864. The film sheds light on Strauss' childhood in Munich, which revolved around the boy's musical education. His father's conservative tastes played a large role in shaping the composer, but also kept him away from the important influence of Wagner until later in life. By 1883 he left Munich for Berlin, where he began conducting and eventually met the soprano Paline de Ahna. They were married in 1894 and the relationship had a great influence on Strauss' work. The film explores Strauss' complex experience in Nazi Germany, as he opposed the Nazi mission but hoped to benefit from their support of German arts and culture, and his surge of production before his death in 1949.