Album insights
Between 1906 and 1918, Richard Strauss experienced a hiatus in his songwriting endeavors following the success of "Salome" in 1905. Engaged in establishing himself as a leading opera composer, he premiered "Elektra" in 1908, followed by "Der Rosenkavalier" in 1910 and two versions of "Ariadne auf Naxos" in 1912 and 1916. Only after finishing the score for "Die Frau ohne Schatten" in 1917 did he gradually return to composing songs. His Brentano-Lieder, Op. 68, marked his most significant song cycle until the creation of the "Vier letzte Lieder" 30 years later.
Clemens Brentano, a prominent figure in German Romanticism, was connected with notable literary figures such as Wieland, Herder, Goethe, and Schlegel. Being naturally restless and unconventional, Brentano roamed the land for years like a medieval minstrel with his guitar on his back. His close lifelong bond with Achim von Arnim, who married his sister Bettina, led to the creation of their most famous work: the collection of German folk poetry known as "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." While Strauss had already set to music three poems from this collection, including "Hat gesagt—bleibt’s nicht dabei," by 1918 he turned to six of Brentano's own poems due to realizing Gustav Mahler had already achieved much in this realm. Inspired by their rich imagery, Strauss not only composed some of his most intricate vocal pieces but also intricate piano accompaniments that clearly reflected his extensive experience with composing for opera orchestras.
Although Elisabeth Schumann was intended for the Brentano-Lieder by Strauss, she only performed the complete cycle once in 1922. Interestingly, while the middle four songs seemed tailored to her clear, light soprano voice, the first and last songs appeared to require a different type of vocal range. Notably, the stormy nature and epic proportions of "Das Lied der Frauen," which is twice as long as any other song at sixteen pages, suggest the need for a weightier and more enduring voice than what is typically found in coloratura sopranos, potentially posing balance issues in the orchestral version. It's worth noting that Strauss’ first Marschallin was also his first Zerbinetta, as mentioned by biographer Norman del Mar.
In the lead-up to 1918, Strauss found himself entangled in disputes with his publisher, Bote & Bock, after a regrettable agreement in 1906 promising them his next song collection. Keeping in line with the quality of the Brentano-Lieder, Strauss preferred to withhold them initially, offering the publisher the satirical cycle "Krämerspiegel" and later the rejected "Ophelia-Lieder" instead.
Alongside the Brentano-Lieder, this CD features 15 more songs for high voice composed between 1888 and 1900. It kicks off with the "Four Mädchenblumen, Op. 22," based on texts by Felix Dahn, who also provided the verses for the "Schlichte Weisen, Op. 21." Despite lacking the immediate charm of the latter, these works showcase literary sensibility and refined contours hinting at early Art Nouveau. Although comparing girls to specific flowers may seem sentimental or even condescending, the disregard these songs faced was perhaps undeserved, primarily due to their high vocal range. Dedicated to Hans Giessen, the first tenor at the Weimar Court Opera where Strauss worked since 1889, these songs were frequently performed by Giessen with the composer at the piano.