RICHARD STRAUSS Serenade in E-Flat Major
RICHARD STRAUSS Serenade in E-Flat Major
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1864 in Munich, Germany; died 1949 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
• Strauss’ father was a respected horn player, allowing the young Strauss to grow up around orchestras. Strauss studied piano, composition, and violin with colleagues of his father, and he wrote his first symphony when he was six years old.
• Strauss became well known during his life as a conductor. While he served as the conductor of the Bayreuth Festival, he released his first opera, which was met with a great deal of criticism.
• When Strauss was 68, the Nazi party rose to power in Germany. Though Strauss was opposed to the Nazi party, he attempted to appease authorities, partially to protect his daughter-in-law and grandchildren who were Jewish. Strauss used his considerable influence to prevent his family from being sent to concentration camps.
• Strauss wrote that he considered anti-Jewish sentiments to be a disgrace to German honor. He continued to program the music of banned composers and work with Jewish librettist Stefan Zweig. The two worked on an opera together that was later banned, and his efforts to keep out of trouble with the Nazi party became untenable. A letter Strauss wrote to Zweig was intercepted by the Gestapo and sent to Hitler, resulting in dismissal from his positions.
• In his later years, Strauss was considered one of the leading late-Romantic composers and wrote some of his most famous works, including Also sprach Zarathustra, Ein Heldenleben, and Till Eulenspiegel.
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1881
MUSIC Brahms’ Tragic Overture
ART Juan Luna’ s The Death of Cleopatra
FUN FACT
Strauss was known for being an excellent player of Skat, a German card game.
EDUCATION Spelman College is founded
ABOUT THE PIECE
• Strauss wrote this work in 1881 when he was just 17 years old.
• Strauss was greatly influenced by his father who was a professional horn player with the Munich Court Orchestra. Strauss was known for writing music for wind instruments, which is masterfully showcased in this single movement work.
HISTORY President James A. Garfield is assassinated
16 BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA