Photo: unidentified photograph / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Richard Strauss was a composer, conductor and librettist, born on June 11, 1864 in Munich, Upper Bavaria, Germany. Richard Strauss died on September 8, 1949, aged 85. Recorded honors include Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order, honorary citizen of Munich, Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1910) and 5 more. Notable works include Also sprach Zarathustra, Salome and Der Rosenkavalier.
My Take
Richard Strauss sits at one of music history's great hinges, and that's why he fascinates me. The opening of Also sprach Zarathustra is so iconic it's practically shorthand for the cosmos, yet the same man wrote the lacerating dissonance of Salome and Elektra before melting into the gilded waltzes of Der Rosenkavalier. That range is staggering. Born in Munich, heir to Wagner and Liszt, he pushed orchestration to dazzling extremes across an 85-year life through brutally turbulent times. I keep returning to him because he refuses to be one thing: tender and savage, modern and nostalgic, all at once.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Richard Strauss
- Name (Japanese)
- リヒャルト・シュトラウス
- Reading
- りひゃると・しゅとらうす
- Born
- June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rat
- Origin
- Munich, Upper Bavaria, Germany
- Occupation
- composer / conductor / librettist / musician / general music director
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order
- honorary citizen of Munich
- 1910 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
- 1936 Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal
- 1924 honorary citizen of Vienna
- Order of the Redeemer
- 1934 Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches
- Order of the Iron Crown (Austria)
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Also sprach Zarathustra | — | |
| Notable work | Salome | — | |
| Notable work | Der Rosenkavalier | — | |
| Notable work | Ariadne auf Naxos | — | |
| Notable work | Elektra | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Richard Strauss born?
Born June 11, 1864.
When did Richard Strauss die?
Died September 8, 1949, aged 85.
Where was Richard Strauss from?
Richard Strauss was from Munich, Upper Bavaria, Germany.
What did Richard Strauss do?
Richard Strauss worked as composer, conductor, librettist, musician, general music director.
What was Richard Strauss known for?
Notable works include Also sprach Zarathustra, Salome, Der Rosenkavalier.
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