GRMUS H649 — The Operas of Richard Strauss

2 credits
Spring
John J.H. Muller

This course will survey the operatic achievement of Strauss. Emphasis will be placed on the more familiar works such as Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier, but all his operas, from Guntramto Capriccio, will be considered. The composer’s working relationship with his librettists, especially Hugo von Hofmannsthal, will be treated. We will see how Strauss transferred concepts of the symphonic poem into the realm of opera as we study his brilliant orchestration and advances in harmony. The expressive world of the operas will be explored, from the comedic elements of Ariadne auf Naxos to the mysteries of Die Frau ohne Schatten. Strauss’s affinity with female characters will be examined, from Salome’s psychosexual obsession to the Marschallin’s bittersweet resignation. Finally, Strauss’s controversial place in the history of 20th-century music will be discussed.