Music is a Holy Art: A Richard Strauss Celebration
Part 1 – Epic Tales Well Told: Strauss’s Tone Poems
Written and produced by Aaron Cohen
Hosted by Deborah Voigt
Produced for and distributed by WQXR Radio
Strauss first came to international attention writing tone poems, his virtuoso symphonic works that portray stories, characters, and even philosophical ideas. In this first of three segments, we examine the six tone poems Strauss wrote between 1888 and 1898, which include Don Juan, Death & Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Quixote, and Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Life").
Guests for this segment include Strauss scholar Bryan Gilliam (Duke University), Michael Tilson Thomas (Music Director, San Francisco Symphony & New World Symphony), Alan Gilbert (Music Director, New York Philharmonic), Keith Lockhart (Music Director, Boston Pops), with literary excerpts read by James Lurie.
Part 2 - Strong Women Dominate Strauss Operas
Written and produced by Aaron Cohen
Hosted by Deborah Voigt
Produced for and distributed by WQXR Radio
The operas of Richard Strauss are dominated by female voices, and many of his fifteen operas are named for their female stars. In this second of three segments, we examine the Strauss operas centered around female protagonists, which include Salome, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die ägyptische Helena, Arabella, Daphne, Die Liebe der Danae and Capriccio.
Guests for this segment include Strauss scholar Bryan Gilliam (Duke University), James Conlon (Music Director, LA Opera), soprano Diana Damrau, Strauss expert Paul Thomason, and performing arts writer Kathleen Watt.
Part 3 - The Enigma of Richard Strauss
Written and produced by Aaron Cohen
Hosted by Deborah Voigt
Produced for and distributed by WQXR Radio
Richard Strauss was an intensely private man, and many felt he wore a mask in public, never showing his true self. In this final segment of our three-part series, we attempt to pull back the mask and see the man behind it. We learn of Strauss’s early days as a prodigy, go behind the scenes of his unconventional marriage, and shed some light on his controversial association with the Nazis.
Guests for this segment include Strauss scholar Bryan Gilliam (Duke University), Strauss expert Paul Thomason, and Leon Botstein (Music Director, American Symphony Orchestra & President, Bard College), with literary excerpts read by James Lurie.
