still the best documentary of Richard Strauss...and as a few people wrote here before, watching it again after a few month or years, it is still breathtaking and wonderful watching and listening this treasure. Thx again for posting....
I have never seen a more beautifully made documentary on any great composer, (not to mention that he is one of my absolute favorites!) Thank you SO much for uploading this!
The last in the line of great, German composers who, took atonality to it's breathtaking extreme with "Elektra' - then turned back - wisely knowing Mozart, Verdi, Gounod, Wagner filled the seats.Music was made for man, not man for music...
thank you for posting this wonderful documentary :-) Richard Strauss .....what a genius ....the greatest Composer of the 20.th century ..for sure...!!!!
Wow, the most complete video document I ever saw (and that probably exists) about the last GreaT Romantic composer Richard Strauss. Thank you so much for posting!
How wonderful! Complete coverage of Strauss' life. Some lovely and rare film opera excerpts as well - Rosenkavalier with Wilma Lipp and Irmgard Seefried. Frau ohne Schatten with Jess Thomas. Arabella with Lisa della Casa. Interviews with Hildegard Ranczak (brief clip of her Octavian in 1939 as well!) and Viorica Ursuleac. Would love an HD version of this and release of the full opera productions featured if they still exist.
1:37, Strauss dirigiert Finale II Akt 25:50, Strauss dirigiert Alpensinphonie 27:15, Karajan 28:39, sul Tristano diretto a Vienna 29:12, Karajan 1:26:13, Viorica Ursuleac
Terrible audio at times due to VCR tracking errors, and it would be nice to know when this was made (early 1980s?). Otherwise, many thanks for posting this very interesting document.
I cannot believe that Rosenkavalier was booed because the Milanese did not approve of "waltzes in a serious opera house". If so, they should have booed most of early and middle Verdi. What about Gounod?
Not to diminish Strauss as a great composer---he is one of my heroes as a musical master and a man of grace and honor--- however let's suppose he was born today in a backwater town where his parents were poor and knew nothing of music, the town had no one to instruct him, nor help him with any professional contacts, he was a German who wanted to write Italian opera, and the public never really believed he was a great composer because of his quiet manner or because they were envious of him...well, do I need to go further? A great artist, indeed, but it is amazing how the stars were completely aligned in his favor throughout his whole life; right time, right country, from the right family, right breaks, right desire to write what he could gain the recognition he deserved, no obstacles in his way. What an incredible success story that many people cannot attain within their lifetimes.
+James Nathaniel Holland: You somehow managed to leave out the poor guy's White Privilege. Let's not leave the kitchen sink a mere three-quarters full.
No offense intended, but you're describing a cards-are-stacked-against-him scenario which fits Gustav Mahler perfectly. Mahler did alright for himself, as I recall.
What a joke. Like he could help growing up feet away from Wagner and other giants. How many times is success about being in the right place at the right time? You sound jealous and bitter, and as someone else stated Mahler did pretty well, as did Pablo Caslas.
yes it's a way of seeing things. But a better way is to see all the positive side that helped him, ans all the negative ones too, in order to have a constructive opinion regarding the quantity of luck and the quantity of let's call it self will. To be able to use all those help your environemment can give you can also be seen as a self desire of a man. You will never know what Strauss or anyone else, give as a personal pov to lead a succesfull life (at least in his career); and you will also never know the % of luck environement helped him. Simply because men are complex and free and you can never know what are from his pov, the difficulties and helpfull environement system.
thank you very much for this memories that was very lovely but i became sad when i saw the horrible nazi era which i most hate in my life (except personal memories)
Strauss did a lot for Mahler: he promoted the first two symhonies at a time when Mahler was unkown. Mahler wrote to him in 1895: "You are really the only one of all my colleagues who takes any notice of my works".
No disrespect intended, but Strauss arranged for and conducted Mahler's music when Mahler was a struggling composer and conductor. One Mahler's career took off, he didn't need Strauss to promote his music. After Mahler's death, he had plenty of people conducting and recording his music: Klemperer, Stokowski, Fried, and Bruno Walter. Heck, even Furtwangler was performing Mahler as early as 1912. It's not Strauss' fault that Mahler's music didn't catch on until 1960.
TheStockwell You are quite right. I was simply pointing out that Strauss did promote Mahler's music, and indeed continued to perform his symphonies until as late as 1918. however, times were not in Mahler's favour untill 40 years later for a variety of reasons.
They were colleagues but also "friendly" rivals. Mahler conducted Strauss's works when he - Mahler - assumed directorship of the Imperial Opera in Wien/Vienna. At the same time, Mahler was aware that Strauus's works were far more popular than his own. The seemingly visionary quote we keep hearing from Mahler is "My time will come!" The full quote, however, refers to Strauss. In 1902, Mahler wrote to his wife: "My day will come when his is over."
Great.. thank you on a high scale of gratitude! So many historical clips and insights. Five best operas as to great music along with a great libretto - ?? For me: Parsifal, Orfeo (Monteverdi), Die Zauberfloete, Pelleas et Melisande (Debussy), and Der Rosenkavalier. (Wozzeck, yes).
still the best documentary of Richard Strauss...and as a few people wrote here before, watching it again after a few month or years, it is still breathtaking and wonderful watching and listening this treasure. Thx again for posting....
my favorite composer. his orchestration is UNPARALLELED
Bonjour quelles belles musiques ❤❤❤❤❤ ❤❤❤❤
greatest composer of 20th century. same level of greatness as wagner, brahms, beethoven....
Well, he is probably not greater than Prokofiev….
a great genius he had the ability to emulate mozart andschummaan a hardest of rare diamonds
Ein einzigartiges Kulturdokument eines Unsterblichen.
I have never seen a more beautifully made documentary on any great composer, (not to mention that he is one of my absolute favorites!) Thank you SO much for uploading this!
What an incredible piece of history this is. I can't imagine a better documentary of this great composer. A million thanks for posting.
The last in the line of great, German composers who, took atonality to it's breathtaking extreme with "Elektra' - then turned back - wisely knowing Mozart, Verdi, Gounod, Wagner filled the seats.Music was made for man, not man for music...
Grazie 🙏 ❤
So good to see a documentary where you can perceive Strauss's turn to Mozart after Elektra! Outstanding!
J'adore cet homme! et sa musique!
Deeply moving.
A wonderful documentary about one of the greatest composers.
thank you for posting this wonderful documentary :-)
Richard Strauss .....what a genius ....the greatest Composer of the 20.th century ..for sure...!!!!
LOVE THE COMPOSER, LOVE THE MAN! the ultimate musical genius for me personally.
great great doc! wow!
Che genio che innovatore musicale e che buon uomo
this man is an authentic musical hero for me, best composer of the whole XX century
YES. YES! YES!!
A exceptional video with much to reflect on.
This documentary is a absolute treasure. Huge thank you for sharing
Watching this reminds of having known people who met and saw this great composer.
Brilliant documentary of a true genius ~ one of the greatest. Strauss and Mozart, per me basta ~ tranne Verdi
Wow, the most complete video document I ever saw (and that probably exists) about the last GreaT Romantic composer Richard Strauss. Thank you so much for posting!
1:59 Wow an orchestra actually playing on the beat - you never see that nowadays!!
very much moving and well made documentary, thank you very much for posting it.
What a wonderful documentary this is.
How wonderful! Complete coverage of Strauss' life. Some lovely and rare film opera excerpts as well - Rosenkavalier with Wilma Lipp and Irmgard Seefried. Frau ohne Schatten with Jess Thomas. Arabella with Lisa della Casa. Interviews with Hildegard Ranczak (brief clip of her Octavian in 1939 as well!) and Viorica Ursuleac. Would love an HD version of this and release of the full opera productions featured if they still exist.
Magnificent!!
Thank you very much for putting this film online!
I learned a lot, I experienced a lot of beauty, I cried a lot for sorrow, I smiled a lot for hope.
It was many years ago that I first saw this wonderful documentary. It has made my day to see it again.
Really interesting and enlightening video, thank you for posting, what a great man he was, living through difficult times
Beautiful! Thank you so much for this upload.
Wonderful documentary!
Thank you very much for this wonderful documentary.
Thank you!
Sir John Gielgud? Such a pleasant voice…
Not to be missed. It was made about forty years ago. The voix d'or of John Gielgud supplies the narration.
Not in the beginning, it's not Gielgud, after that, yes.
Thank you for posting. This documentary was amazing. A must see for anyone interested in Music.
Great, magnificent, superb.....
What a beautiful scene .. He was just kiddin with his grandson (I think so!!)
Excellent. And brava, Ursuleac!
R.Strauss liked to call himself "a first-rate Second Rank composer". To me he's first rank all the way.
1:37, Strauss dirigiert Finale II Akt
25:50, Strauss dirigiert Alpensinphonie
27:15, Karajan
28:39, sul Tristano diretto a Vienna
29:12, Karajan
1:26:13, Viorica Ursuleac
Terrible audio at times due to VCR tracking errors, and it would be nice to know when this was made (early 1980s?). Otherwise, many thanks for posting this very interesting document.
I cannot believe that Rosenkavalier was booed because the Milanese did not approve of "waltzes in a serious opera house". If so, they should have booed most of early and middle Verdi. What about Gounod?
Rick-hard Strauss.
I love how bored he looks when conducting.
Looks like is going for a walk. Such a difference from frenetically gesticulating conductors! Nevertheless, he was a great conductor
Yes, it's lovely how the creator of this extremelly passionate work is so elegant in person.
Not to diminish Strauss as a great composer---he is one of my heroes as a musical master and a man of grace and honor--- however let's suppose he was born today in a backwater town where his parents were poor and knew nothing of music, the town had no one to instruct him, nor help him with any professional contacts, he was a German who wanted to write Italian opera, and the public never really believed he was a great composer because of his quiet manner or because they were envious of him...well, do I need to go further? A great artist, indeed, but it is amazing how the stars were completely aligned in his favor throughout his whole life; right time, right country, from the right family, right breaks, right desire to write what he could gain the recognition he deserved, no obstacles in his way. What an incredible success story that many people cannot attain within their lifetimes.
+James Nathaniel Holland: You somehow managed to leave out the poor guy's White Privilege. Let's not leave the kitchen sink a mere three-quarters full.
+George Locke
Is there white privilege in a society in which every one is white ?
No offense intended, but you're describing a cards-are-stacked-against-him scenario which fits Gustav Mahler perfectly.
Mahler did alright for himself, as I recall.
What a joke. Like he could help growing up feet away from Wagner and other giants. How many times is success about being in the right place at the right time? You sound jealous and bitter, and as someone else stated Mahler did pretty well, as did Pablo Caslas.
yes it's a way of seeing things. But a better way is to see all the positive side that helped him, ans all the negative ones too, in order to have a constructive opinion regarding the quantity of luck and the quantity of let's call it self will. To be able to use all those help your environemment can give you can also be seen as a self desire of a man. You will never know what Strauss or anyone else, give as a personal pov to lead a succesfull life (at least in his career); and you will also never know the % of luck environement helped him. Simply because men are complex and free and you can never know what are from his pov, the difficulties and helpfull environement system.
Commented and conducted by Sir Georg Solti.
I'm doing a school project and I would like to know the year of this documentary if possible?!
Thank you
1984
Anyone know what he says at 00:15 ? At times when spiritual goods are what?
James Holland. actually Strauss was black! yes, he straightened his hair and used lots of white pancake makeup. Happy now?
No credit to John Gielgud, who narrates the documentary?
nah
thank you very much for this memories
that was very lovely
but i became sad when i saw the horrible nazi era which i most hate in my life (except personal memories)
the nazi era was bad... very bad... its a wonder I'm alive
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR NAZI ? THEY WHO ENGINEERED BOTH WARS NOT GERMANS ! AND IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY OCCUPIED BY SAME TODAY?
Does anyone know the name of the lied at 9:20???
anybody knows name of this singer? 1:10:00
Strauss was good but...... sausages and beer!!
😪😪😪😪
Why did he not do more for Mahler's music? Mahler never heard his 9th symphony nor the "Das Lied".
Strauss did a lot for Mahler: he promoted the first two symhonies at a time when Mahler was unkown. Mahler wrote to him in 1895: "You are really the only one of all my colleagues who takes any notice of my works".
No disrespect intended, but Strauss arranged for and conducted Mahler's music when Mahler was a struggling composer and conductor. One Mahler's career took off, he didn't need Strauss to promote his music. After Mahler's death, he had plenty of people conducting and recording his music: Klemperer, Stokowski, Fried, and Bruno Walter. Heck, even Furtwangler was performing Mahler as early as 1912. It's not Strauss' fault that Mahler's music didn't catch on until 1960.
TheStockwell You are quite right. I was simply pointing out that Strauss did promote Mahler's music, and indeed continued to perform his symphonies until as late as 1918. however, times were not in Mahler's favour untill 40 years later for a variety of reasons.
They were colleagues but also "friendly" rivals. Mahler conducted Strauss's works when he - Mahler - assumed directorship of the Imperial Opera in Wien/Vienna. At the same time, Mahler was aware that Strauus's works were far more popular than his own.
The seemingly visionary quote we keep hearing from Mahler is "My time will come!" The full quote, however, refers to Strauss. In 1902, Mahler wrote to his wife: "My day will come when his is over."
Strauss remarked to Mahler, "I have the sense you and I are boring tunnels at opposite points of the same mountain." Or something like that.
every thing older than today is now shit .
Great.. thank you on a high scale of gratitude! So many historical clips and insights. Five best operas as to great music along with a great libretto - ?? For me: Parsifal, Orfeo (Monteverdi), Die Zauberfloete, Pelleas et Melisande (Debussy), and Der Rosenkavalier. (Wozzeck, yes).