# Ranking R. Strauss' operas



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

I know, I know, some of you think that this kind of exercise is silly and futile. It may very well be the case, but I still find it fun, from time to time.

I just finished watching R. Strauss' Salome, an opera I hadn't seen or heard since 2007. It reminded me of how good it is. Then I was thinking of his other operas, and how most likely Der Rosenkavalier will remain his most popular one. But I don't think it is his best (don't read me wrong, I love it, I just love some of his others even more). 

Here is how I'd rank the ones I know:

1. Die Frau ohne Schatten
2. Elektra
3. Salome
4. Der Rosenkavalier
5. Ariadne auf Naxos
6. Arabella
7. Capriccio
8. Daphne
9. Intermezzo

My number one is poorly known but for me it's his best, a very underrated masterpiece. The next three are everybody's favorites so no surprises there. The order of these three shows my preference for the more modernist music and tighter dramatic impact of Elektra and Salome over the longer and more uneven Der Rosenkavalier, in spite of the spectacular show stoppers of the latter such as the Presentation of the Rose and the final trio.

Next, some might be surprised that I rank Ariadne auf Naxos above Arabella, but yes, Ariadne is his ugly duckling but I quite like many parts of it.

Then Arabella is fine, very enjoyable. Capriccio is less good in my opinion, and boring in parts. Daphne is very beautiful musically but is dramatically weaker (this may have to do with the fact that the production I saw was very bad, maybe if I see another one I'll rank it higher). And Intermezzo in my opinion is a big disaster, it's the only one of the 9 that I don't like.

Sure, the above has a lot to do with personal taste, but how would you guys (at least those who don't think that this is silly and futile) would rank R. Strauss' operas?

P.S.: As a reminder, here are his operas that I've never seen/heard, some of them quite obscure - if anybody knows any of the following, please tell me more about them:

Der Kampf mit dem Drachen (never performed)
Guntram
Feuersnot
Die ägyptische Helena
Die schweigsame Frau
Friedenstag
Die Liebe der Danae
Des Esels Schatten (orchestrated and completed by Karl Haussner)


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

What of _Guntram_ and _Feuersnot_?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> What of _Guntram_ and _Feuersnot_?


I've just added above the list of those that I don't know. These two I've never heard so I can't rank them. What do you think of them?


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Here's how I'd rank the ones I know

1. Ariadne auf Naxos

Only one I've seen :|


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## Herkku (Apr 18, 2010)

I eagerly wait for Die schweigsame Frau on DVD!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> I
> P.S.: As a reminder, here are his operas that I've never seen/heard, some of them quite obscure - if anybody knows any of the following, please tell me more about them:
> 
> Der Kampf mit dem Drachen (never performed)
> ...


I have an old LP recording of "_Guntram_" dating from the 1980s on the CBS label with Reiner Goldberg in the title role and Ilona Tokody as Duchess Freihild, the heroine. It has since been issued in CD format. Here are the details:
Release Date:*03/03/2009*Label:* Sony** Catalog #:*7448162** Composer:* Richard Strauss Performer:* Ilona Tokody,* Reiner Goldberg,* Sándor Sólyom-Nagy Conductor:* Eve Queler Orchestra/Ensemble:* Hungarian State Orchestra Number of Discs:*2*Recorded in:*Stereo*

This opera is pretty much the tenor's show (and at the time, Goldberg was one of my favorite tenors, which is the reason I purchased the recording in the first place). Although the opera itself is fairly short, it appears to be an attempt by Strauss to write in the style of Wagner. Certainly, the heroine's name -- Freihild -- has a Wagnerian ring to it.

The plot involves a nasty Duke (Freihild's husband) who runs afoul of the knight Guntram when he (the Duke) tries to prevent his wife from aiding the poor and down-trodden. There are the usual twists and turns and complications in the plot until the opera's end, when Guntram, having killed the Duke in self-defense, still renounces Freihild's love because he snuffed out her insufferable husband. If you (a) love Strauss's music or (b) are a fan of Reiner Goldberg, you may want to buy this recording. Otherwise, I'm afraid there isn't much to recommend it.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

MAuer said:


> I have an old LP recording of "_Guntram_" dating from the 1980s on the CBS label with Reiner Goldberg in the title role and Ilona Tokody as Duchess Freihild, the heroine. It has since been issued in CD format. Here are the details:
> Release Date:*03/03/2009* Label:* Sony** Catalog #:*7448162** Composer:* Richard Strauss Performer:* Ilona Tokody,* Reiner Goldberg,* Sándor Sólyom-Nagy Conductor:* Eve Queler Orchestra/Ensemble:* Hungarian State Orchestra Number of Discs:*2* Recorded in:*Stereo*
> 
> This opera is pretty much the tenor's show (and at the time, Goldberg was one of my favorite tenors, which is the reason I purchased the recording in the first place). Although the opera itself is fairly short, it appears to be an attempt by Strauss to write in the style of Wagner. Certainly, the heroine's name -- Freihild -- has a Wagnerian ring to it.
> ...


Thanks. I'll look into it.
Apparently Feuersnot is a lot more substantial but was not successful at the time because it was considered to be obscene. R. Strauss knew how to be risque... I'm curious about it.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

The Fricke/ Varady/ Weikl recording of Feuersnot ain't bad at all... here is a review from www.arccds.com

Richard Strauss never forgot or forgave the city of Munich for its rejection of his first opera, "Guntram." He constructed a tombstone memorial to the opera at his villa in Garmisch (it still exists.) He avenged himself on Munich, the city of his birth, by composing the opera "Feuersnot," in which the reactionary burghers of Munich are deprived of fire (the warmth and brightness of creativity) by a noble magician named Kunrad (in reality Richard Strauss). It is a short, ninety-minute work, filled with allegory and inventive music that should enchant lovers of Strauss and modern German music. The libretto, written by Ernst Wolzogen, is a parody of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" and the Ring Cycle, and Strauss composes some lovely music, creating a pastiche of tunes reminiscent of "Hansel und Gretel," and "Die Meistersinger," and even quoting music from "Das Rheingold," "Eugene Onegin," "Guntram," and Munich street music. Much of Strauss's music for "Feuersnot" looks forward especially to "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Arabella"; but there are also hints of "Die Frau ohne Schatten" and "Capriccio" in it. The lovely waltzes, for example, on band 6 of the first CD, are vintage Strauss; the love duet is reminiscent of "Arabella"; and the finale sounds like early "Die Frau ohne Schatten." Strauss utilizes a huge orchestra, although, as the composer himself admits, the orchestrations are not as developed as in his later work. An enchanting children's chorus runs throughout the opera, beautifully performed by Toelzer Knaben Chor of Munich. I am happy to report that the recording is an excellent one. The CD's evidentally come from a 1985 radio broadcast by Munich Radio. Bernd Weikl, a fine, experienced Wagnerian baritone who has performed many of Strauss's roles, is in glorious voice for the demanding baritone role of Kunrad. Julia Varady is equally excellent as Diemut, a sort of Wagnerian character, who, at first, rejects her lover and then embraces him in the grand finale. Smaller, but important roles, are taken by such singers as Keith Engen, Friedrich Lenz, and Willi Brockmeier, prominent singers from the Bayrische Staatsoper who have sung leading roles since the 1950's. Heinz Fricke conducts a unified and exuberant performance. ARTS was wise to offer the two CD set for the price of one CD, a value to the opera collector. Unfortunately, Wolzogen's libretto that accompanies the set is only in German (actually a wild, Bavarian dialectical pastiche that is almost impossible to translate.) However, the English notes and synopsis by Karl Schumann are well-written and extensive; it is indeed possible to follow the opera after studying Schumann's notes. Unless you travel to Munich during a commemorative festival, you will probably never see "Feuersnot" performed; however, by listening to this fine recording, you will understand the dramatic genius of early Strauss, and hear some delightful music that led up to his more famous operas!


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## Guest (May 4, 2011)

Die Frau ohne schatten is the one I prefer,

Me


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## Guest (May 4, 2011)

I have Feuersnot...it is not terrific.

Me


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## Grosse Fugue (Mar 3, 2010)

Only seen three.
1.Der Rosenkavalier
2.Salome
3.Capriccio

I think 2 is a better opera than 3 although personally I prefer 3 to 2.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

Just Salome and Elektra ... the others are some kind of unpleasant dreadfully neo-Classical style which is not my taste at all ...


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

D'you know what, I'm not all that keen on Strauss. Too much time spent listening to sopranos, not enough men. 

That said, this is my order:

Salome
Arabella
Rosenkavalier
Ariadne auf Naxos
Elektra
Capriccio (soooo long, I've got tickets for the HD and I'm dreading it a little bit)

Don't know the others.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Capriccio (soooo long, I've got tickets for the HD and I'm dreading it a little bit)


The HD was OK, Nat; no intermission so it went by pretty fast.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> The HD was OK, Nat; no intermission so it went by pretty fast.


That's good to know - some of those intermissions go on and on.

So no "smiling ladies", (as my daughter calls Renee, Susan, Debbie et al. Most common question: "so how was it to work with Maestro Levine?) We're also word perfect in the Bloombergs ad.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Il_Penseroso said:


> Just Salome and Elektra ... the others are some kind of unpleasant dreadfully neo-Classical style which is not my taste at all ...


we are in then same boat. thanks, good info for a newbie.

i bought tickets for Elektra, but also going to buy for Salome.


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## Fortinbras Armstrong (Dec 29, 2013)

For the last twenty or so years, I can never think of Fuersnot without hearing Beavis and Butthead saying "He said 'snot'" and then laughing that stupid laugh.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Almaviva's Favorite Strauss Operas:

1. Die Frau ohne Schatten
2. Elektra
3. Salome
4. Der Rosenkavalier
5. Ariadne auf Naxos
6. Arabella
7. Capriccio
8. Daphne
9. Intermezzo

Quite magnificent; taste that mirrors my own. Ha. Ha. Ha. . . But of course, not even close to the ranking of order I'd give.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I'm kind of different on Strauss I guess.
I prefer the more relaxed operas, so I'd move Salome and Elektra down and the rest up.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Itullian said:


> I'm kind of different on Strauss I guess.
> I prefer the more relaxed operas, so I'd move Salome and Elektra down and the rest up.


I can't really rank them ordinally, really. I mean _Die Frau ohne Schatten, Rosenkavalier, Arabella, Capriccio, Daphne,_ and _Salome_ rank high with me-- but for totally diffferent emotional, intellectual, and aesthetic reasons.

Apples and oranges?-- sure; but more like 'apples and screwdrivers'


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Elektra is number one, Ariadne is number two, Rosenkavalier is three.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

rgz said:


> Here's how I'd rank the ones I know
> 
> 1. Ariadne auf Naxos
> 
> Only one I've seen :|


LOL! I only really know ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and ELEKTRA. I enjoyed ARIADNE, but ELEKTRA is one of my favorite operas ever (though I can certainly understand why some are put off by it). I love Strauss's music, though (probably even more than Wagner's) -- surely he was one of the all-time great melodists.


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## SilenceIsGolden (May 5, 2013)

I recently listened to _Capriccio_ and I really, really like that opera. It's amusing, clever, the music is radiant (that opening sextet!!), and I love the way it is not only about art, but actually _enacts_ the process of how art elevates the mundane into something beautiful and meaningful.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

I've heard only handful of his operas. I like them in this order now (less than 5 listens each):

1. Der Rosenkavalier
2. Ariadne auf Naxos
3. Salome
4. Die Frau ohne Schatten
5. Guntram

I'm still looking for good used copies of these:
Arabella
Capriccio
Daphne
Intermezzo
Elektra
Die Frau ohne Schatten


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## WienerKonzerthaus (Mar 11, 2014)

*Die Schweigsame Frau* is a really difficult one to perform (very unique parlando that can get messy easily)... and also to stage... but I've been lucky to see an amazing performance of it once, with a very pregnant Diana Damrau at her peak (assuming we've already seen the peak; obviously one hopes for more and always better things to come).

*Feuersnot *was the first opera I ever saw... Heinz Fricke conducted. It's not a great work. *Guntram *is worse. 
*Die Aegyptische Helena* can be amazing... also lucky to have seen that (also with Damrau, come to think of it) in a production that worked very well. I love the underlying topic of love, awareness, forgiveness, sin, and the struggles involved therein. Quite bourgeoise and touching! It's, by reasonable consensus, a better opera than Die Schweigsame Frau.

*Friedenstag*... yikes. That's not the finest hour of Strauss, although it's probably better than given credit for (with its tainted political past). *Die Liebe der Danae* I've never seen performed and the recording I have never quite made me 'get it'. I love, love *Capriccio*, but I'd never say it's his best. Had the good fortune of seeing two amazingly conducted productions of *Die Frau ohne Schatten*... with Thielemann once and Petrenko the other time. Must say that the Thielemann conducted production of Christof Loy's -- especially comparing to the Munich production and the pitiful Mariinsky production (DVD) -- has grown on me... and most of that in retrospect.


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