Composer Richard Strauss Died in 1949

The German composer is considered one of the greatest composers of vocal music

German composer Richard Strauss died on this day in 1949 – aged 85.

Born into a musical family in Munich, Richard Strauss' musical talent was evident at a young age. His father, Franz Strauss, was the principal horn player in the Bavarian Court Opera as well as a composer. He provided his son with an excellent musical education, studying piano with August Tombo, and violin with Benno Walter, as well as taking music theory, orchestration, and composition lessons.

His musical education was a blend of formal instruction, mentorship, and independent study. He studied with many other prominent musicians, including the conductor and composer Eugen Huber.

Initially, Strauss's compositions were inspired by the Romantic style of predecessors like Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, however, he soon crafted his own unique voice, marked by his lush orchestration, harmonic innovation, and his programmatic approach to music. He is considered one of the greatest composers for the human voice.

His signature works include operas Der Rosenkavalier and Salome and orchestral masterworks Don Juan, Death and Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Ein Heldenleben, Also sprach Zarathustra, An Alpine Symphony and Metamorphosen.

His major contributions to the string repertoire include a violin concerto, a piano quartet – and violin and cello sonatas.

His uniquely expressive music also helped create one of cinema’s most famous moments in the 2001 film A Space Odyssey, which uses his tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra. 

Strauss’s reputation as a composer and conductor remained high throughout his lifetime. He was awarded numerous honors and accolades, including National Prize in Arts and Sciences, Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, Gold Medal for Music, and received honorary doctorates from Oxford, Cambridge, and Vienna as recognition of his profound impact on the world of music.

MIDORI GOTO & ROBERT MCDONALD | STRAUSS VIOLIN SONATA IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 18 | 1990