Strauss Life Timeline

Main

Birth of Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864)

11 June 1864 - 12 June 1864

Richard received first piano lessons (1867-1868)

1867 - 1868

First compositions (1870-1871)

1870 - 1871

Secondary school and composition studies (1874-75)

1874 - 1876

First published work (1881)

1881 - 1882

Symphony in D minor

Attended University (1882-1883)

1882 - 1883

First public appearance as a conductor

1884 - 1885

Strauss him- self conducted the first performance of his Bläsersuite in Munich and thus stood for the first time in public on the conductor’s rostrum.

Music director in Meiningen (1885)

1885 - 1886

Third Conductor at Munich Court Opera (1886)

1886 - 1887

Tod und Verklärung and Macbeth (1890)

1890 - 1891

première of his symphonic poem Tod und Verklärung (opus 24) in Eisenach and in Weimar the première of Macbeth (opus 23)

Trips to Greece and Egypt (1892-93)

1892 - 1893

With a "travel fund” of 5,500 marks (almost dou- ble his salary as conductor in Weimar), provided for him by his uncle Georg Pschorr, his mother’s brot- her, Strauss travelled to Greece and Egypt to conva- lesce.

Guntram première (1894)

1894 - 1895

The first opera was premièred in Weimar under the baton of the composer and achieved only token recognition. The work overtaxed the cast, who then complained to the opera management.

Till Eulenspiegel and Zarathustra (1895-96)

1895 - 1896

His preferred sphere was now the symphonic poem: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (opus 28) was premièred in Cologne in 1895, and Also sprach Zarathustra (opus 30) Frankfurt the following year. Strauss’ interpretation of "old roguish tunes” and his the reworking of Nietzsche’s poem is still one of his most popular compositions.

Son Franz is born (12 April 1897)

12 April 1897 - 1898

Don Quixote & Heldenleben: Berlin Court Conductor (1898-99)

1898 - 1899

Two further symphonic poems were premièred: Don Quixote (opus 35) in Cologne, based on themes from Miguel de Cervantes’ famous novel, and the partly autobiographical Heldenleben (opus 40) in Frankfurt.

Second Opera: Fuersnot (1901)

1901 - 1902

Feuersnot (opus 50) con-
tain several sarcastic remarks
against the conservative art world in Munich, but also much splendid music, including the first opera waltz theme by Richard Strauss.

First North American tour: Symphonia domestica (1904)

1904 - 1905

Scandal and sensation: Salome (1905)

1905 - 1906

Garmisch (1908)

1908 - 1909

Elektra première (25 January 1909)

1909 - 1910

Death of his mother (15 April 1910)

1910 - 1911

Der Rosenkavalier (1911)

1911 - 1912