One might say that it inverts the relationship between composer and context. Rather than studies of Strauss's librettists that discuss the texts themselves and his musical settings, for instance, this book offers essays on the writers themselves: their biographical circumstances, styles, landmark works, and broader positions in literary history. Likewise, Strauss's contributions to the concert hall are positioned within the broader development of the orchestra and trends in programmatic music. In short, readers will benefit from an elaboration of material that is either absent from or treated only briefly in existing publications. Through this supplemental and broader contextual approach, this book serves as a valuable and unique resource for students, scholars, and a general readership. - Readers will benefit from a variety of perspectives and approaches to contextualizing the life and works of Richard Strauss - Written by a team of experts, chapters focus on context rather than biography, analysis, or other traditional areas of inquiry - Organised around key themes which range from family, friends and collaborators, to artefacts and legacy Table of Contents Preface Morten Kristiansen and Joseph E. Jones Part I. Family, Friends and Collaborators: 1. Family and upbringing Chris Walton 2. Formative influences David Larkin 3. Pauline de Ahna Katharina Hottmann 4. Close friends Walter Werbeck 5. Hofmannsthal Ingeborg Haase and Dirk Hoffmann 6. The other librettists Kenneth Birkin 7. Stage collaborators Ryan Prendergast 8. Champions Bryan Gilliam Part II. Career Stations: 9. Munich and Garmisch Sebastian Bolz 10. Meiningen and Weimar Michael Saffle 11. Bayreuth Ulrich Konrad 12. Berlin Dietmar Schenk 13. Vienna Joseph E. Jones Part III. Cultural Engagement and Musical Life: 14. Strauss as reader Matthew Werley 15. Antiquity Jason Geary 16. Philosophy and religion Charles Youmans 17. Allgemeiner deutscher musikverein James Deaville 18. Genossenschaft deutscher tonsetzer Manuela Schmidt Part IV. Professional and Musical Contexts: 19. The composer Jeremy Zima 20. The conductor Raymond Holden 21. The orchestra Scott Warfield 22. Program music Jonathan Kregor 23. Post-wagnerian opera Morten Kristiansen 24. The lied Jürgen May Part V. In History: 25. Modernism Peter Franklin 26. Traditionalism Leon Botstein 27. World War I Philip Graydon 28. Nazi Germany Erik Levi 29. Lateness Giangiorgio Satragni 30. Reception Franzpeter Messmer Part VI. Artifacts and Legacy: 31. Publishers and editions Andreas Pernpeintner and Stefan Schenk 32. Letters Claudia Heine and Adrian Kech 33. In performance Raymond Holden 34. Influence Ben Winters 35. 2001: A space odyssey and beyond Charles Youmans 36. Scholarly directions Matthew Werley Index.