STRAUSS
Richard Strauss was born 11th June, 1864, at Munich. He showed great musical talent from the earliest years, having composed several pieces before leaving school. In 1882, he studied composition with the Court Kapellmeister, composing almost ceaselessly string quartettes, symphonies and overtures, most of which were performed and received as promising productions. He was at the University during 1882-3, and in 1885 began to conduct, being appointed musical director at Meiningen, proceeding to the Munich Court Theatre in 1886. He was next appointed musical director at Weimar in 1890, and became Court Kapellmeister at the Berlin Opera House in the same year. He travelled in Italy during 1885. His first opera, Guntran, was produced at Weimar on 12th May, 1894; and in the same year he became Count Kapellmeister at Munich, again occupying the same position at Berlin in 1899. He undertook a number of tours, and in 1897 visited London, where a "Strauss Festival" was held in St. James's Hall, June, 1903. Strauss continued to produce more and more important works, consisting of symphonies, sonatas, tone-poems, and many songs, choral and orchestral pieces, all of which proved his great gift for musical composition and paved the way for the remarkable operatic works which were to follow. He always had a great admiration for Wagner, whose successor he wished to be regarded as; and in his next opera, Fuersnot, produced at Dresden in November, 1901, this was indicated very plainly. His remarkable opera, Salome, based on Oscar Wilde's drama, was produced at Dresden, 9th December, 1905, and created a great sensation, placing Strauss at once in the front rank of operatic composers. This was followed by Elektra—by many regarded as his finest work—produced at Dresden in 1909, and at Covent Garden, London, in 1910, and Der Rosenkavalier, produced at the Royal Opera House, Dresden, 26th January, 1911, and in London, January, 1913—both of which have added to the now world-wide reputation and appreciation of this highly-gifted composer.
His latest work, Ariadne au Naxos—a clever "freak" opera written as an incidental musical interlude to Molière's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme—was produced in London at His Majesty's Theatre, on 27th May, 1913, having been heard previously at Stuttgart in October, 1912.