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Richard Strauss' later operas
Posted by Ralph Moore on April 13, 2025, 1:48 pm
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier, think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio, apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Sorry, Lee; while I thank you sincerely for your kind words, I do not accept for one moment the idea that "Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' in 1919" when I consider the merits of "Arabella", "Die schweigsame Frau" and "Capriccio". Yes; there is an argument for maintaining that there is a perceptible dip in quality overall but their best moments are as great as anything he ever wrote and even his most popular opera, "Der Rosenkavalier", has its longueurs. It seems to me that Strauss was simply experimenting with a subtler development of the genre rather than repeat himself and they require a little more flexibility, receptivity and effort on the part of the listener. Certainly those last two works you cite are imperishable masterpieces and in no way evidence of decline. If anything, he was clearly trying to move his idiom along to adapt to changing tastes - although personally I have absolutely no time for the two "modernistic" operas you mention and would take "Capriccio" every time; I find it captivating throughout.
Previous Message
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Your devotion to the mature (Richard) Straussian cause is quite touching, Ralph. I wonder if other readers share my ambivalence, or your own veneration.
L
Previous Message
Sorry, Lee; while I thank you sincerely for your kind words, I do not accept for one moment the idea that "Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' in 1919" when I consider the merits of "Arabella", "Die schweigsame Frau" and "Capriccio". Yes; there is an argument for maintaining that there is a perceptible dip in quality overall but their best moments are as great as anything he ever wrote and even his most popular opera, "Der Rosenkavalier", has its longueurs. It seems to me that Strauss was simply experimenting with a subtler development of the genre rather than repeat himself and they require a little more flexibility, receptivity and effort on the part of the listener. Certainly those last two works you cite are imperishable masterpieces and in no way evidence of decline. If anything, he was clearly trying to move his idiom along to adapt to changing tastes - although personally I have absolutely no time for the two "modernistic" operas you mention and would take "Capriccio" every time; I find it captivating throughout.
Previous Message
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Rather than the operas (I'm not an opera buff as such), I would like to give a shout out for Panathenäenzug, the unpronounceable 1928 work for piano left hand and orchestra. I only know the Rosel/Kempe recording, but can't imagine it being done better. I am quite willing to be shot down for this, being musically uneducated as I am, but judging by the only criterion that should matter, i.e. does it sound great?, I love it. Listen to the gorgeous tune just after the 6 minute mark. If someone were to re-package it as a lost work by Korngold, people would be all over it. (And that's a compilment - I love Korngold.)
Previous Message
Your devotion to the mature (Richard) Straussian cause is quite touching, Ralph. I wonder if other readers share my ambivalence, or your own veneration.
L
Previous Message
Sorry, Lee; while I thank you sincerely for your kind words, I do not accept for one moment the idea that "Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' in 1919" when I consider the merits of "Arabella", "Die schweigsame Frau" and "Capriccio". Yes; there is an argument for maintaining that there is a perceptible dip in quality overall but their best moments are as great as anything he ever wrote and even his most popular opera, "Der Rosenkavalier", has its longueurs. It seems to me that Strauss was simply experimenting with a subtler development of the genre rather than repeat himself and they require a little more flexibility, receptivity and effort on the part of the listener. Certainly those last two works you cite are imperishable masterpieces and in no way evidence of decline. If anything, he was clearly trying to move his idiom along to adapt to changing tastes - although personally I have absolutely no time for the two "modernistic" operas you mention and would take "Capriccio" every time; I find it captivating throughout.
Previous Message
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Well, Barry, I can only say that if you consider yourself "musically uneducated" I can keep you company but am even more so, as I had never even heard of that work, let alone listened to it - but I have just sampled that very recording on YouTube - and it is a hoot! It sounds like Strauss' tribute to Gershwin, being so free, improvisatory, jazzy and full of good tunes; Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928) are exactly contemporaneous with Strauss' work - but I doubt whether he heard them. Quite what the music has to do with "The Parthenon Frieze" is not audibly apparent but it is indeed a terrific bravura piece and a little online research throws up its interesting history, connected with pianist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in WW1.
Thanks for the fascinating introduction.
Previous Message
Rather than the operas (I'm not an opera buff as such), I would like to give a shout out for Panathenäenzug, the unpronounceable 1928 work for piano left hand and orchestra. I only know the Rosel/Kempe recording, but can't imagine it being done better. I am quite willing to be shot down for this, being musically uneducated as I am, but judging by the only criterion that should matter, i.e. does it sound great?, I love it. Listen to the gorgeous tune just after the 6 minute mark. If someone were to re-package it as a lost work by Korngold, people would be all over it. (And that's a compilment - I love Korngold.)
Previous Message
Your devotion to the mature (Richard) Straussian cause is quite touching, Ralph. I wonder if other readers share my ambivalence, or your own veneration.
L
Previous Message
Sorry, Lee; while I thank you sincerely for your kind words, I do not accept for one moment the idea that "Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' in 1919" when I consider the merits of "Arabella", "Die schweigsame Frau" and "Capriccio". Yes; there is an argument for maintaining that there is a perceptible dip in quality overall but their best moments are as great as anything he ever wrote and even his most popular opera, "Der Rosenkavalier", has its longueurs. It seems to me that Strauss was simply experimenting with a subtler development of the genre rather than repeat himself and they require a little more flexibility, receptivity and effort on the part of the listener. Certainly those last two works you cite are imperishable masterpieces and in no way evidence of decline. If anything, he was clearly trying to move his idiom along to adapt to changing tastes - although personally I have absolutely no time for the two "modernistic" operas you mention and would take "Capriccio" every time; I find it captivating throughout.
Previous Message
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Hi, Ralph. To be able to introduce, as it were, a piece of Strauss to one as knowledgeable as yourself, I consider quite an achievement on my part, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. The title, in German or English, does it no favours - though whether it would have fared better under a catchier title is debateable. I suppose there's an element of 'as this piece doesn't fit in with the general perception of the composer, let's just ignore it'. It feels like a holiday piece to me, Strauss not caring whether anyone else likes it, as long as he's having a great time.
Previous Message
Well, Barry, I can only say that if you consider yourself "musically uneducated" I can keep you company but am even more so, as I had never even heard of that work, let alone listened to it - but I have just sampled that very recording on YouTube - and it is a hoot! It sounds like Strauss' tribute to Gershwin, being so free, improvisatory, jazzy and full of good tunes; Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928) are exactly contemporaneous with Strauss' work - but I doubt whether he heard them. Quite what the music has to do with "The Parthenon Frieze" is not audibly apparent but it is indeed a terrific bravura piece and a little online research throws up its interesting history, connected with pianist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in WW1.
Thanks for the fascinating introduction.
Previous Message
Rather than the operas (I'm not an opera buff as such), I would like to give a shout out for Panathenäenzug, the unpronounceable 1928 work for piano left hand and orchestra. I only know the Rosel/Kempe recording, but can't imagine it being done better. I am quite willing to be shot down for this, being musically uneducated as I am, but judging by the only criterion that should matter, i.e. does it sound great?, I love it. Listen to the gorgeous tune just after the 6 minute mark. If someone were to re-package it as a lost work by Korngold, people would be all over it. (And that's a compilment - I love Korngold.)
Previous Message
Your devotion to the mature (Richard) Straussian cause is quite touching, Ralph. I wonder if other readers share my ambivalence, or your own veneration.
L
Previous Message
Sorry, Lee; while I thank you sincerely for your kind words, I do not accept for one moment the idea that "Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' in 1919" when I consider the merits of "Arabella", "Die schweigsame Frau" and "Capriccio". Yes; there is an argument for maintaining that there is a perceptible dip in quality overall but their best moments are as great as anything he ever wrote and even his most popular opera, "Der Rosenkavalier", has its longueurs. It seems to me that Strauss was simply experimenting with a subtler development of the genre rather than repeat himself and they require a little more flexibility, receptivity and effort on the part of the listener. Certainly those last two works you cite are imperishable masterpieces and in no way evidence of decline. If anything, he was clearly trying to move his idiom along to adapt to changing tastes - although personally I have absolutely no time for the two "modernistic" operas you mention and would take "Capriccio" every time; I find it captivating throughout.
Previous Message
It is curious, isn't it, how Richard Strauss's muse seemed to have abandoned him after Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1919, with just a brief reappearance right at the end of his life with Metamorphosen and The Four Last Songs ? Of course, there are the occasional, brief moments of magic in between, but it has to be said the remaining operas aren't quite on the consistently high level as before. Then again, I have also claimed in my Conspectus that the premiere of Turandot in 1926 was also the last great Italian opera too (see: https://musicwebinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Puccini-Turandot-survey-LD.pdf ). I suppose with the premieres of Wozzeck in 1925 and Lady Macbeth in 1934, the genre had shifted and Strauss was aware and all too self-conscious that he had been left behind musically.
That said, I'm sure I speak for many in expressing an appreciation of your own Conspectuses, Ralph, a true labour of love, and am looking forward to the latest one.
LD
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
I greatly respect Ralph Moore's expertise on operas and regret that I do not enjoy Strauss's later operas more than I do. I have admired Salome and Elektra since my teens. I am always willing to give the later ones a chance, but have so far been disappointed. Of course the really late concert works, such as Metamorphosen, the oboe concerto and the Four Last Songs are as good as anything he wrote.
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
Thank you for your response and kind words, Stephen; I have to agree with you that for all I enjoy Strauss' later operas, the three late works you cite are superior to al of them. I am currently working on a survey of those late operas; maybe it will give you a jog to try one or two of them again in what I hope are the best recordings.
Previous Message
I greatly respect Ralph Moore's expertise on operas and regret that I do not enjoy Strauss's later operas more than I do. I have admired Salome and Elektra since my teens. I am always willing to give the later ones a chance, but have so far been disappointed. Of course the really late concert works, such as Metamorphosen, the oboe concerto and the Four Last Songs are as good as anything he wrote.
Previous Message
As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
I suppose dumping on Richard Strauss' post Der Rosenkavalier operas is a pasttime too much enjoyed to be able to fight against. I think that Ariadne Auf Naxos (in two versions no less) is the greatest opera of the 20th C and incredibly original. Intermezzo is also a very original opera both compositionally and in subject matter.
The main problem I see in some of the post Ariadne operas is an inability to give up the massive orchestra which stresses singers and just doesn't sound as convincing as it did in the 19th C. Frau Ohne Schatten would have been better with an Ariadne sized orchestra. Even the more musically original Die Aegyptische Helena would benefit from a scaled down orchestra. Another blind spot of Strauss is that if he couldn't get V Hofmannsthal librettos then Strauss himself was the next best librettist. The relative failures are the operas where he used neither.
Previous Message
Thank you for your response and kind words, Stephen; I have to agree with you that for all I enjoy Strauss' later operas, the three late works you cite are superior to al of them. I am currently working on a survey of those late operas; maybe it will give you a jog to try one or two of them again in what I hope are the best recordings.
Previous Message
I greatly respect Ralph Moore's expertise on operas and regret that I do not enjoy Strauss's later operas more than I do. I have admired Salome and Elektra since my teens. I am always willing to give the later ones a chance, but have so far been disappointed. Of course the really late concert works, such as Metamorphosen, the oboe concerto and the Four Last Songs are as good as anything he wrote.
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As a Strauss opera devotee and the producer of surveys of all of his major operas, you will understand that I became increasingly slack-jawed as I read my colleague Stephen Barber's verdict on the later works and the Naxos Arabella DVD he has just reviewed. He writes, " I care neither for the story nor the music of Der Rosenkavalier , think Ariadne auf Naxos charming but silly, Intermezzo a Zeitoper which has become very much a period piece and Capriccio , apart from the lovely Prelude, rather repetitive and sentimental."
Arabella is then condemned as "a disappointing work", suffering from a libretto which was not one of Hofmannsthal's better efforts, Arabella herself as "a cipher", the male roles unattractive and the music as fluent but unmemorable, containing too many longueurs with an over-protracted denouement. Phew!
SB is of course wholly entitled to express such opinions, and like him I certainly have my dislikes and even lacunae - I can, for example, rarely tolerate Liszt in any form - but as a result, I tend to avoid reviewing anything for which I have as great an antipathy as he demonstrates towards that work.
I am sure he is quite right about the failings of the performance itself and I am equally sure that his recommendation of Janowitz and Solti is sound, but I rarely watch opera DVDs myself; it is not a medium I much enjoy, preferring either the audio or a live performance. However, I would still like to put in a word for a work which I love; several of the duets are among the finest Strauss ever wrote. For my own views and recommendations, I refer you to the aforementioned survey.
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