Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss, (1864-1949). German composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he began composing at the age of six. Under the influence of Wagner and Liszt he began the composition of a series of symphonic poems that included Don Juan (1889) and Till Eulenspiegel (1895). In 1905 Strauss had his first operatic success with Salome, which he followed with the operas Elektra (1909) and Der Rosenkavalier (1911). Other well-known works include the Four Last Songs (1948). Strauss accepted an important musical post from the Nazis but subsequently resigned when he was criticized for using a libretto by a Jewish writer.
