Strauss in His Summer Home.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 19, 9 November 1910, Page 16

Strauss in His Summer Home.

A VISIT TO THE SYMPHONIC POET.

IN the ‘"'Berliner Lokal Anzeiger,” Alfred Holzbock speaks of his visit to Richard Strauss in the latter’s country home in Garmisch, Bavaria, as follows:— One must follow a badly kept country road to reach the summer seat of Richard Strauss. Summer seat is hardly the proper term, though. The villa, which was built by Emanuel Seidel, of Munich, is situated at the base of the Klammer Mountains, away from the road, in a valley whose loveliness is not marred by the giant mountains, the Wendelstein and die Zugspitze, whose peaks, forever covered with snow, look down upon this quiet homo of the composer. But “Richard the •Fortunate,” as he is frequently termed, does not care to have this buen retivo looked upon as a country seat. I met him in his large garden, his right hand equipped with a pencil and his left holding a black note book. “I’m just composing a little,” said Strauss, who speaks the Bavarian dialect bo gemuthlich when he fells happy and contented. And here in Garmisch the man who in Berlin, I.ondon, and Paris is the centre of jubilant ovations, feels most gemuthlich and contented. “Here I am happiest, here, thanks to Iny dear wife, who is also a real intellectual comrade for me, and to my lovely boy, I experience that sweet peace which I long for and need. Here it is easiest for me to compose; here I take the greatest pleasure in my work, even during the winter. However. I compose almost everywhere*. in my beautiful, cosy home and in the noisy international hotel, in my garden and on the railroad train; my Sketch book is ever my companion which, While walking, riding, during my meals and while drinking, I always have with toe. As soon as I think of a motive adapted for the theme with which I am occupied, it is immediately recorded in my inseparable companion, the sketch book. One of the most important melodies for my new opera came to me while was playing ‘Sebat skopf (a German card game) for which I have associated myself with the notabilities of Garmisch. The. ideas which I jot down are really only ‘pre-sketches,’ which are then elaborated. But before I improvise even the smallest ‘pre-sketch’ for an opera, I occupy myself with and study, the words of the book for at least six months. “I let the plot fairly boil within me. The final details of the situations and the cliaracters must be thoroughly elaborated within me. and then only do I allow the musical thoughts to take possession nf me. The ‘pre-sketches’ become sketches. I then copy the sketches, then the material is elaborated. The piano score, which I alter and edit at least four times, is then written. This represents the work; that which follows, the entire score, the large orchestra tone colouring. 1 consider a recreation. The score I write at one stretch, without much effort, in my study, in which I work for twelve hours without interruption. Thus I am enabled to giro the uniform character to a composition, and that, to my mind, is the principal thing. Heroin most of our composers err. If they were to take some piece of a Wagner drama or a Mozart finale they would bo compelled to recognise with admiration the absolute uniformity between all the parts. It is like the summary or the extract from one piece. But many of our composers wish only to make a show with sporadic thoughts of melody, more or less prominent, and, above all, immediately conspicuous. Such a creation resembles * suit of clothing made of various

patches, some of which may be very pretty and of a bright colour, but which for all that is nothing more than patchwork.”

At present the latest operatic work of the master, “Der Rosenkavalier,” takes up his entire creative art. The most possible and impossible reports of this work of Strauss have been circulated. The composition is not called a musical drama, nor an opera, nor a comic opera, but is given the peculiar name of “Der Rosenkavalier, comedy for music.” “One might think,” says Strauss, “that this term is meant to signify an entirely new musical stage genius. Such is not the case. I have merely endeavoured to adapt the music to the light and graceful character of the Hoffmannsthal fiction.”

The plot is laid during the time of the Empress Maria Theresa, in Vienna. The first scene begins with entertaining, cheerful audacity in the bed-chamber of the wife of the field-marshal, the Princess Werdenberg, beside whose couch Octavian, a young nobleman of pleasure, 17 years of’ age. of distinguished family, vows his tender love. This Octavian is a fascinating but well-behaved boy. a kind of Cherubino, whose rival on the field of love is the Baron Ochs v. Leyerenan, a brutal parvenu in spite of his being an old aristocrat. These two are the principal figures in the comedy. During the early forenoon the Baron forces himself unexpectedly into the presence of his cousin, the Princess. In order not to expose the. lady of his love, Octavian disguises himself as chambermaid, to whom the Baron at once makes love. Ochs v. Eeverenan informs his cousin that he has condescended to become engaged to Sophie von Farinal, the daughter of a man rich, but only newly knighted. He requests the Princess to procure him a Rosenkavalier, i.e., an aristocratic suitor for himself, who, according to the custom, presents a rose to the intended bride in the name of the bridegroom. Octavian becomes the Rosenkavalier. The fiancee of the Baron, whose obtrusiveness is obnoxious to her, falls in love with the young suitor acting as proxy, who finally, in noble resentment, wounds the bridegroom, who continually molests the young girl. A ruse frees the young ]ady from her intended bridegroom. The Baron-bridegroom receives a loving epistle from the chambermaid—that is to say, the Rosenkavalier, Octavian. Octavian —chambermaid —and the bridegroom meet in a chamber reparee. The latter is fooled and unmasked. Baron Ochs departs with empty hands, and his one-time fiancee is led to the altar by the Rosenkavalier. Referring to his composition, Richard Strauss'said: “This fiction of Hoffmannstlral retains the tone of the rococo in a delightful style, and it has been my object to transfer this tone to the style of music. Involuntarily, the spirit, of Mozart arose before my mental vision, but I have, notwithstanding, remained true to myself. The orchestra is not as strong as in ‘Salome’ or ‘Elektra,’ but it is by no means treated according to tli,e modern tendency, the object of which is to produce Mozart with a small orchestra. ‘Der Rosenkavalier’ is composed for full orchestra. Mozart’s intentions, by the way, never had a weak orchestra in view. AVhen an English patron of music once had one of his symphonies played with 100 violins, Mozart was filled with enthusiasm. I have not ignored the light and saucy cheerfulness of the fiction, though it never oversteps the bounds of all that is graceful and charm-

ing. The second act ends with a typical Viennese waltz, and the duet between the chambermaid—Octavian —and the Baron Ochs in the chamber reparee consists entirely of waltz motives. The ‘Rosenkavalier’ is sung by a mezzo-so-prano, and the Baron is a typical bass and buffo part. Besides six other larger solo parts, this ‘comedy for music’ contains 14 smaller solo parts. I have already finished two acts of this work, and the score of the final act has only to be elaborated. I hope surely that ‘Der Rosenkavalier’ will be produced during the first half of the coming season, of course in the Dresden Hoftheater, under the conduction of my friend, Generalmusikdirektor Scliueh.”—“Musical America.”