Richard Strauss Quotes

German composer and orchestra director (1864–1949)

Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German (Bavarian) composer of classical music and conductor. His music has always been popular: both in the concert hall and on recordings. He is perhaps best known nowadays for his Operas, of which Salome, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos are the most frequently performed. He was also a composer of symphonic works such as Thus Spake Zarathustra and A Hero's Life. He wrote many songs for solo voice with piano or orchestra, including Four Last Songs, Tomorrow! and Rest, my soul!. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates at the Universities of Heidelberg (1903) and Oxford (1913) and awarded the French Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur Croix de Chevalier (1907) and Officier (1913). He conducted throughout his adult life, and made many recordings of his own compositions from 1918 to 1947. His last public concert was on 19 October 1947 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he conducted the Philharmonia orchestra in a program of his works. His music has inspired many composers, including Béla Bartók, Edward Elgar, Benjamin Britten and also Hollywood composers such as Max Steiner and John Williams. His best known music is the opening to Thus Spake Zarathustra, which became one of best known pieces of film music when Stanley Kubrick used it in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Alternative Names: Richard Georg Strauss

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It is clear to me that the German nation will achieve new creative energy only by liberating itself from Christianity

When during my stay in Egypt I became familiar with the works of Nietzsche, whose polemic against christianity was particularly to my liking, the antipathy which I had always felt against a religion which relieves the faithful of responsibility for their actions (by means of confession) was confirmed and strengthened.

Ten Golden Rules (for the album of a young conductor)

Conducting is, after all, a difficult business – one has to be seventy years of age to realise this fully!

I ask myself why I have actually survived once more and been called back to life.

In my opinion, Gustav Mahler's work is one of the most important and interesting products in the history of modern creative arts.

Mozart's melodies, Beethoven's symphonies, Schubert's songs, acts two and three of Tristan are symbols in which are revealed the most profound spiritual truths. They are not "invented", but are "given in their dreams"to those privileged to receive them. Whence they come no one knows, not even their creator, the unconscious mouthpiece of the demiurge.

:4. Never look encouragingly at the brass, except with a short glance to give an important cue.

My wife, my child, my music, Nature and the sun; they are my happiness.

Declarations about war and politics are not fitting for an artist, who must give his attention to his creations and his works.

:6. If you think that the brass is not blowing hard enough, tone it down another shade or two.

:10. If you follow these rules carefully you will, with your fine gifts and great accomplishments, always be the darling of your listeners.

Very fine, but why do you put so many wrong notes in? Basically, it is all built on simple triads.

:7. It is not enough that you yourself can hear every word the soloist sings - you know it off by heart anyway: the audience must be able to follow without effort. If they do not understand the words they will go to sleep.

More like a sacrilege du printemps.

Richard Strauss Quotes

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