Getting into Richard Strauss....

Well my parents' (rather good I must admit) music collection has served me well so far, but now I'm starting to branch out a bit more and to my regret I've realised that one Richard Strauss has had no attention from me so far. His instrumentation in some things I've heard seems pretty crazy - basset horns, oboe d'amore, bass sax, if it's rare he'll use it it seems. ;)

So, simple question - what Strauss works do you think would be the best ones to get started on?

Macbeth, Don Juan, Death and Transfiguration, the Cello Sonata, Don Quixote.

Strauss, I believe, is the greatest musical genius that we know of today. Although he worshipped Mozart and Beethoven, his music is anything but a poetic idea (despite the name "tone poem") - his music is definitely not for anyone who is lazy, or just wants some ear candy, or a specific emotional sentiment. For me, the only emotion that comes from Strauss, is a love of the Universe itself - the eternal "Yes".

Yes, there are alot of suavities that are delightful to listen to, but his music is program music - to me it does not seem to "express the human condition" or whatever (although I should not speak for Strauss) - it tells a story, it uses the Wagnerian concept of "leitmotif" and attaches these motifs to specific things. His operas are especially cacophonous and chock full of leitmotifs that spin around one another.

It is a similar idea to what you hear in Star Wars. Most of his major works are operas and tone poems - go on Youtube and you'll be able to find some stuff.

Here's what I would listen to to start:

Festliches Praeludium, Don Juan, Aus Italien, Alpine Sinfony, Ein Heldenlieben, his Paino Burlesque, Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verklarung),

Also Sprach Zarathustra ("space oddysey"), Till Eulenspiegel's Merry pranks, Four Last Songs, , Don Quixote, Sinfonia Domestica, Serenade in E flat major,

Then, there's:

Elektra, Salome, Macbeth, Metamorphosen, Parergon, Ariadne auf Naxos, and tons of other stuff.

Whatever that piece for Clarinet and Bassoon is. I think it's a Duo Concertante. And the oboe concerto. These pieces show some of his most difficult to perform music.

The first piece I would listen to him is definitely Also Sprach Zarathustra - its a perfect beginning piece to listen to, especially because its also slightly familiar. Then you can move to some of the "better" pieces (in my opinion) Ein Heldenlieben (did I spell that right?), The red knight etc. Richard Strauss is a fantastic composer and is, for some reason, underrated like almost all other 20th century composers.

Also Sprach Zarathustra? Don't just listen to the prelude/fanfare though. get the ENTIRE THING. ;)

Listen to his horn concerti. There are two of them. Especially the first, but both of them are less contemporary, they are quite classical/romantic, actually, with that modern hint. For something of his that is normal, I would say the horn concerti are great.

EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN EIN HELDENLEBEN

Oh yeah, and EIN HELDENLEBEN

I second that :)

This is the wrong angle to look at a composer. YOU don't get into Strauss, HE gets into YOU. I recommend the various concerti and the overtures to his operatic works.

How about the actual operas themselves - Salome, Elektra, Daphne, Ariadne auf Naxos, and to a lesser extent IMO, Der Rosenkavalier are all incredible.

Why not the actual operas? Because most people don't have 2.5 hours straight to listen to music. I do recommend that you listen to them if you have the time though. It's just not worth it to split them up.

Me, I love listening to a complete opera in one sitting. I lie down with the libretto in hand and just enjoy myself, it's great.

I've always found it very hard to listen to Opera. That's nothing against Opera, it just seems completely alien to me without the theatre, without the action. Like reading Shakespeare. Or watching a film without the sound.

Back on topic: I don't know much Strauss but his Alpine Symphony is great.

I've always found it very hard to listen to Opera. That's nothing against Opera, it just seems completely alien to me without the theatre, without the action. Like reading Shakespeare. Or watching a film without the sound.

Yeah, it's the same for me. It's just never the full experience, so I usually never listen to operas unless I can see them at the same time. Funnily even video recordings/tv broadcasts doesn't really work for me either. I need the whole performance atmosphere to really get into it. As live performances however, some operas have been the most shaking musical experiences I've ever had.

(Also, opera recordings are especially bad to listen to when there are lots of recitatives, especially if it's in a language I don't understand, i.e. almost always. There's only so much "harpsichord talk" I can listen to without getting drowsy, without seeing and understanding anything. But that doesn't apply to Strauss of course.)