Strauss, Richard (1864-1949): The Complete Music Autographs in the BSB

It is hardly necessary to point out Richard Strauss' lifelong close relationship with Munich and Bavaria. Born in Munich in 1864 as the son of Franz Strauss, the first horn player in the court orchestra, Strauss began studying philosophy and art history at the University of Munich in 1882, which he soon abandoned. Works by the young composer were already being performed in Munich in 1883, among others by court conductor Hermann Levi. Strauss was engaged twice as conductor at the Munich Opera, from 1886 to 1889 and from 1894 to 1898. Many of his tone poems were written in Munich, including 'Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche', 'Also sprach Zarathustra' and 'Don Quixote'. When he was denied the succession of Hermann Levi, he went to Berlin in 1898 as First Conductor of the Court Opera, in 1919 he took over the Vienna Court Opera (until 1924). Despite his commitments in Berlin and Vienna, Richard Strauss always spent a considerable amount of his time in Garmisch, where he had built himself a house in 1908. The first Strauss Weeks in Munich took place as early as 1910. His operas 'Friedenstag' (1938) and 'Capriccio' (1942) were premiered in Munich. The BSB has always cultivated the work of Richard Strauss as a special collection focus. It has been collecting his autograph musical manuscripts since 1935. In the sixties and seventies, spectacular acquisitions were made, such as the autograph score of 'Guntram' (1963), a large-format short score of the second act of 'Arabella', the complete autograph of the song cycle 'Krämerspiegel', sketchbooks for 'Der Rosenkavalier', 'Elektra', 'Arabella', 'Daphne', 'Die Liebe der Danae' and for the 'Metamorphosen'. After 1980, further central sources were added to the BSB, including the autograph of 'Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche', the complete short score of 'Metamorphosen', sketches for 'Elektra', further sketchbooks for 'Die Liebe der Danae', 'Arabella' and 'Die schweigsame Frau' and the autograph of the Piano Sonata op. 5. Today, the BSB has the world's largest Strauss collection in public ownership: approximately 65 music autographs and approximately 2,000 autograph letters and documents.