Full Description
Featuring ten new essays on different aspects of the compositions, artistic influences, and persona of Richard Strauss, The Strauss Companion explores the composer's relationship to his own work and to that of his noted contemporaries. Guided by not only musical interests but literary, political, and philosophical ones as well, Strauss is an ideal candidate for this sort of treatment. Following this discussion of his influences, the volume moves to a discussion of the works themselves, including operas, tone poems, and stage works; these compositions are explored analytically and also in terms of their critical reception. The final chapter investigates for the first time Strauss's much-neglected choral works, revealing their rich musical and vocal capacities, while a select bibliography and complete works-list round out the volume.
These colorful and intriguing essays are written by some of the foremost American, German, British, and Canadian Strauss scholars of our time, making it an important resource for students not only of Strauss's work, but of all musical composition and art music.
Contents
Foreword by Bryan Gilliam
Preface
Abbreviations
Influences
The Influences of Richard Strauss by Heiner Wajemann
Strauss and His Contemporaries: Critical Perspectives by Peter Franklin
The Development of Richard Strauss's Worldview by Charles D. Youmans
Instrumental Works
Richard Strauss's Tone Poems by Walter Werbeck
The Early Reception of Richard Strauss's Tone Poems by Mark-Daniel Schmid
From "Too Many Works" to "Wrist Exercises": The Abstract Instrumental Compositions of Richard Strauss by Scott Warfield
Vocal Works
Richard Strauss before Salome: The Early Operas and Unfinished Stage Works by Morten Kristiansen
The Late Operas of Richard Strauss by James L. Zychowicz
Richard Strauss's Imagination by Pierre Marc Bellemare
The Lieder of Richard Strauss by Christine Getz
The Challenge of the Choral Works by Suzanne M. Lodato
Selected Bibliography by Scott Warfield
Index of Musical Works
General Index
About the Contributors
