During this period, his works include horn concerto in F major, symphony in F minor, piano music and painting, piano string quartet in C minor, nine art songs written for Grimm's poetry collection, vocal chorus suite written according to Goethe's poem "A Wanderer's Charge Song" and so on. These works have been performed in Germany. Biao Luo affectionately called him "Richard III", which made Richard Strauss famous quickly. Richard strauss was appointed as the deputy conductor of Megan's court band, and studied conducting under the face-to-face instruction of Luo Biao. Soon after, he played his own symphony in F minor and Mozart's piano concerto in C minor (K.49 1), and he acted as a solo part. Brahms, the leader of Leipzig School of Music, commented after listening to Richard strauss's works in Main: "Music is fascinating, but many local themes are beside the point." Soon, Biao Luo resigned. The Duke of Saxony-Main wanted to appoint Richard Strauss as the successor of the band leader, and at the same time, he wanted to reduce the number of the band. Richard strauss was deeply dissatisfied with this, did not accept this position, and left Main. Later, he signed a contract with the Munich Opera House for three years as the third conductor.
While working in the main court band, Richard strauss established a deep friendship with the first violinist Alexander Ritter. Ritter's wife is Wagner's niece. At the same time, Ritter is also a Yucheng follower of Wagner and Liszt, and his artistic tendency has influenced Richard strauss. Ritter advised Richard Strauss to give up the classicism tendency, read Wagner's literary theory, read Schopenhauer's books, and take the romantic route of Berlioz, Liszt and Wagner. Richard Strauss basically completed the transformation of his artistic thought. He wrote: "A new (artistic) concept must have a new (artistic) form-this is the principle of Liszt's symphonic poems, and the real factor that determines the creation is the idea of poetry-which became the guiding principle of my later symphonic poems." (Quote from Richard Strauss: (Memoirs). Richard strauss's symphonic fantasia "Italia" is the real symbol of his artistic thought transformation, which indicates that he changed from composing untitled instrumental music to composing titled music, and his musical style changed from following Mendelssohn to following Liszt. People have different views on this turning point work. Perhaps it will take some time for the public to get familiar with and adapt to this "new" Richard strauss style.
During his three years in Munich Opera House, Richard strauss rarely had the opportunity to participate in the performance of important works except conducting several operas by Mozart and Verdi. 1887, when he was a guest conductor in Leipzig, he met the Austrian composer gustav mahler, and soon became a man keen on Mahler's art. This summer, he began to write music poems such as Macbeth, Don Juan and Death and Purification. He fell in love with soprano pauline de Anna. In the next few years, he performed several famous operas with Anna (including Tristan and isolde by Wagner and Woman's Heart by Mozart-two of Richard strauss's favorite operas). 1894, they got married. The wedding gifts he gave her were four art songs (Op.27), namely "Morning", "Cathy Li", "Quiet, my soul" and "Secret Request". Richard strauss's command career reached its peak. He was the chief conductor of the Royal Opera House in Berlin. During the eight-month performance season, he conducted 765,438+0 concerts and 25 operas (including two complete performances of four plays The Ring of Nibelungen). Excavate and perform works such as Liszt's Faust in matar, and perform works such as Grieg, Mahler, sibelius and elgar in Berlin. Richard strauss's talent and reputation as a conductor can not be ignored. Together with Mahler and Weingartner, he influenced the German-Austrian music performance during 1890~ 19 10, and traveled all over Europe from time to time.
Richard strauss was not discouraged by the failure of his first opera "Gontland", and he was still exploring to write new operas. 190 1 year completed the music creation of the opera "Fire Shortage". This is a comedy based on the legend of Flanders in the middle ages. It premiered in Dresden, which was a great success and lasted for a long time. This gave Richard Strauss great encouragement. When Richard strauss began to compose the new opera The Silent Woman, the National Socialist Party headed by Hitler came to power. As a musician, Richard strauss has never asked about politics for decades. He looked down on many politicians and devoted himself to art. However, at this year's Berrod Music Festival, the famous conductor toscanini refused to take part in the performance because of protesting the Nazi persecution of Jews. In order to save the art festival, and out of respect for Wagner's art, Richard strauss was appointed as the representative of toscanini to conduct this grand performance together with Nazi dignitaries. In view of Richard Strauss's reputation at that time, the Nazi Party needed such a cultural figure to play a propaganda role. Therefore, they played up Richard strauss's actions and regarded his performance as evidence of supporting the Nazi Party. In June 165438+ 10 of this year, when Goebbels, the propaganda minister, established the Nazi "National Music Bureau", he appointed Richard Strauss as the director without his consent, and Richard Strauss began a disgraceful page in his history.
Richard strauss lacks political consciousness, or rather, he has the inferiority of German mediocrity. During his tenure as director of the National Music Bureau, he didn't even find out that the playwright who collaborated with him to create this opera was stefan zweig, a Jew he knew a few years ago. Therefore, the Nazis accused Richard strauss in the radio. Zweig took refuge in Zurich and recommended others to write plays for Richard strauss. Richard strauss didn't want to face up to reality, but insisted on writing Zweig's name on posters and programs. His request was met, but Hitler, Goebbels and others who promised to attend the premiere of the opera The Silent Woman did not come. Four days later, the Nazis banned the opera and ordered Richard strauss to resign from the National Music Bureau on the grounds of health. So, Richard strauss compromised and wrote a servile letter to Hitler. Although he did this to keep his job, the fascist leader never gave him or his family any special favor. In the spring, Richard Strauss composed "Transfiguration" for 23 stringed instruments, which seems to be a review of his half-century musical career. 1945 after the war, Richard strauss and his wife went into exile in Switzerland. Because of his disgraceful history, his name was listed on the list of Nazi extermination courts. During this period, he wrote oboe concerto and other woodwind music. 1947, Richard strauss Music Festival was held in England, and he was invited to live in London for one month and perform his own works, which partially restored his reputation informally. 1948, the Nazi extermination court officially announced that he was allowed to return to Germany. 1949 in may, Richard strauss dragged his sick body back to China for major surgery, and he took away the last four art songs. He caught up with the celebration ceremony for his 85th birthday in June. In August, there was something wrong with my heart. 1September 8, 949, he passed away painlessly. Before he died, he muttered to his daughter-in-law, "Death is like this, just like my book Death and Purification."