Late Romantics – Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

· Best known for tone (symphonic) poems and songs (although he wrote many operas, some other genres)

· Symphonic poems were programmatic like those of Liszt; Don Juan (1888), Death and Transfiguration (1889), Till Eulenspiegel (1895), Ein Heldenleben (1898)

· All have underlying “heroic” theme, picking up on Beethoven’s idea of “artist as hero”

· First big success was Don Juan; Strauss said “new ideas must search for new forms,” although his tone poems are not really new forms but free versions of traditional forms, e.g. Don Juan is sonata allegro; Till Eulenspiegel is a rondo, Ein Heldenleben is a variations work.

· This music is an ultimate expression of romanticism:

· huge sound, orchestra, lush, sweeping harmony

· programmatic elements

· chromaticism

· virtuosity

· Strauss stressed tonal system, e.g. juxtaposition of keys a tritone or half step apart

· Strauss married a great singer; she was inspiration for Lieder and some opera roles

· In the first decade of 20th century, Strauss wrote 2 avant garde operas, Salome (1903-5) and Elektra (1906-8)

· Salome (1903-5) based on Oscar Wilde’s play (1891-2). Wilde is largely responsible for our concept of her today as the embodiment of evil; reflects decadence of turn-of-century Vienna as well as Wilde’s misogyny. The Bible doesn’t have that much detail about her.

· Strauss’s setting is very dissonant, tonal relationships are largely absent, except when John the Baptist is singing: this is tonal, with predictable progressions

· The opera uses some Leitmotives, not as systematic as some of Wagner’s music dramas, but still unifying the work throughout. Elektra is even more organized with Leitmotives; also just as bloody and perverse, just as dissonant and experimental

· After this, Strauss drew back from atonality, in fact participated in a new trend, neo-classicism