Metamorphosen

[Insidious Von]

Since this is the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

Richard Strauss remained in exile in Switzerland after WW II, he helped Jews escape Nazi brutality. His last work was a lament to the Death of Germany as he had known it. He died within months of its completion.

 

[Insidious Von]

Richard Strauss died five days before Konrad Adenauer became the First Chancellor of modern Germany. He never made it back to his homeland, his remains were taken back to his hometown of Garmish - Partenkirchen and laid to rest there.

Before he left he vented his grief in two monumental works, Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs.

 

[Insidious Von]

Richard Strauss's career spanned 50+ years, it began with the Horn Concerto which he wrote for his father. His horn playing father hated it and he never wrote music for him again.

Several years later he wrote this:

 

[danmand]

The Met is playing Der Rosenkavalier this time of year.

https://www.metopera.org/season/2019-20-season/der-rosenkavalier/

Many years ago, I watched a wonderful performance in Vienna.

 

[Insidious Von]

Strauss had several librettists to work on his operas, among them were the Jewish writers Stefan Zweig and Joseph Gregor. Zweig wrote the libretto to Der Rosenkavalier, he left Vienna within months of Hitler taking over the country. His novels have seen a revival courtesy of Hollywood. The Escape Artist was turned into a mini-series starring David Tennant, then Wes Anderson made The Grand Budapest Hotel. He died in Brazil in 1942.

As Music Director of the Beyreuth Festival, Strauss used his considerable influence to protect Gregor's family, he went into hiding. Finally getting them to safety in Sweden. He wrote Metamorphosen in the final days of WW II, it's a deconstruction of the funeral music of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony.