Richard Strauss (1864 1949)

· Like other 20^th century composers, Strauss used opera to deal with new 20^th century issues, e.g. decadence and exoticism, as well as traditional issues: love, lust, death, fidelity, family

· Strauss also used opera to explore experimental musical ideas: in this case incipient atonality

· His two operas in first decade of the twentieth century: Salome (1903-5) and Elektra (1906-8) were his most experimental. Both stories lend themselves to exploration of decadence.

· Salome has libretto by Oscar Wilde; the libretto reflects turn-of-century fascination with psychology, decadence and exoticism.

· Music: at times lush and romantic, other times beyond tonality. Strauss juxtaposed extremely dissonant music for most of the characters and highly consonant music for John the Baptist.

· There is an extensive structure of Leitmotives in this opera

· Salome was followed by Elektra: the story is equally disturbing; the music is even more experimental and dissonant, very nearly atonal.

· Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose, premiered 1911) is very different from Salome and Elektra, more of a romantic farce à la Mozart. It has scandalous or decadent overtones, but is more titillating than disturbing