Rachel Willis-Sørensen considers Strauss ideal for a lyric soprano voice with a bit more weight, like hers, noting the supportive orchestration and conversational nature of the music.
Composition History
Strauss composed Capriccio, his last opera, with his favorite soprano, Viorica Ursuleac, in mind, who had previously performed many of his roles.
Performer Biography
Rachel Willis-Sørensen, the American soprano on this recording, has performed major Strauss roles like Diemut in Feuersnot and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Richard Strauss's Capriccio and Four Last Songs represent the final culmination of his lifelong dedication to the soprano voice.
Composition History
The song 'September' was the last of the Four Last Songs to be written, but Strauss's actual last song was 'Malven,' published posthumously in 1982.
Composition History
The title 'Vier letzte Lieder' (Four Last Songs) was not given by Strauss himself, but by Ernst Roth of Boosey & Hawkes when the songs were published in 1950.
Composition History
The libretto for Capriccio was a collaboration between Strauss and conductor Clemens Krauss, after earlier attempts by Stefan Zweig and Joseph Gregor.
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Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder, TrV 296; 6. Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland, Sechs Lieder, Op.56; Capriccio, Op.85
Adoration: I Was Married to Him
Rusalka, Op. 114, B. 203: Song to the Moon (Arr. for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble by Wolfgang Renz)
