Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. He was also a noted conductor.
His 1896 composition Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) is well known today for its use in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Before and during the 1939-45 War, he was criticised as a Nazi sympathiser, and held an official (musical) post. This claim is not entirely accurate. He lost the job when he refused to remove the name of a Jewish librettist from a programme. He was also condemned for criticisms of the Nazi party. He was thereafter denounced by the Nazi party, and he was forced to make concessions and submit to their will in order to save his family. |
