R. Strauss: Macbeth, Rosenkavalier Suite & Tod und Verklärung

Featuring

Lan Shui
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Richard Strauss

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Composition History

The initial version of Macbeth had a triumphant, major-key ending, but Richard Strauss changed it to a more convincing minor-key ending after advice from conductor Hans von Bülow.

Historical Context

In late 19th-century Germany, death was a favorite subject for Romantic artists, making it easier to understand Richard Strauss's choice of subject for Tod und Verklärung.

Composition History

Richard Strauss's Macbeth was his first work to be designated as a 'Symphonic Poem'.

Critical Reception

Richard Strauss's operas Salome and Elektra were considered scandalous successes, with one newspaper headline after Salome's American premiere reading: '4000 SURVIVE THE MOST APPALLING TRAGEDY EVER SHOWN ON THE MUSICAL STAGE'.

Performer Biography

Lan Shui, the conductor on this album, was the music director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 2019 and is now its conductor laureate.

Composer Biography

Richard Strauss's father, Franz Strauss, was a renowned horn player who was much more conservative than his son.

Composer Biography

When warned by Kaiser Wilhelm II about the damage his scandalous operas were doing to his reputation, Richard Strauss famously retorted that with the takings, he was able to build his villa at Garmisch.