Strauss: Elektra & Der Rosenkavalier Suites (Live)
11/11/2016, 2 Tracks, 58:32
Featuring
Manfred Honeck
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Richard Strauss
Did you know?
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Composition History
After the harmonically complex Elektra, Richard Strauss wanted to write something different, stating, 'Now I will write a Mozart opera,' which became Der Rosenkavalier.
Composition History
Richard Strauss's operas Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier were written in succession, only two years apart, despite their vastly different musical styles.
Performer Biography
Manfred Honeck, the conductor on this recording, received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna and was a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Orchestra.
Cultural Impact
Richard Strauss famously proclaimed, 'I am Richard Strauss, the composer of Der Rosenkavalier and Salome' to American soldiers at his doorstep in 1945.
Notable Performances
Der Rosenkavalier was an immediate success, performed fifty times in its premiere year of 1911, with special trains organized from Berlin to Dresden just to see it.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Richard Strauss considered Elektra and Salome to be unique in his life's work, pushing the boundaries of harmony, psychological polyphony, and what the ear could bear.
Compositional Technique
Elektra requires an enormous orchestra of no less than 110 musicians, making it one of the largest orchestras for any opera in the repertoire.
