The Four Last Songs: Richard Strauss’ Swansong
Richard Strauss had proven he could write beautiful and moving music despite his music style being seen as out of fashion by the end of his life.
His last work before his death was the set of songs for voice and orchestra. Strauss had received a book of poetry by Hermann Hesse and decided to write three songs with said text. The fourth song has its lyrics from Joseph von Eichendorff.
Here is the list of the songs:
- Fruhling (Spring)
- September
- Beim Schlafengehen (Going to Sleep)
- Im Abendrot (At Sunset)
By this time he was already in his 80s. He had witnessed so much from the history of Germany and finally lived his last days. With all of his powers he wrote these songs. Such lyricism illustrates the creative powers of the composer.
The orchestration of Strauss is richly decorated with color. How the voice of the soloist and the power of the orchestra harmonizes in concert or recording cannot be explained with words. Upon hearing the voice of the soloist soar against the orchestra, the listener cannot help himself but cry.
Death for Strauss is no fear, rather the acceptance that the moment of death has come, and that he has accepted it calmly.
Unfortunately he died before the set’s premiere. He entrusted the premiere to Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad so she could resume her career after the Second World War, and Strauss wanted that his set be performed with a first class conductor and orchestra. Eight months after Strauss’ death, Flagstad had sung the set with German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
I suggest you find a good album and listen to it attentively. I will tell you, you will not regret it.
Listen here to the performance of American soprano Renée Fleming with Italian conductor Claudio Abbado conducting the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. It is a favorite of the author.
