Richard Strauss

1864 Richard Strauss is born in Munich on 11 June.

1868 He receives his first piano lessons from August Tombo.

1870 He writes his first compositions: *Die Schneiderpolka* and a Christmas carol.

1872 Strauss meets Ludwig Thuille, with whom he shares a friendship and an exchange of views on musical matters for many years. Benno Walter gives Strauss his first violin lessons.

1874 Enrolled at the Royal Ludwig Grammar School in Munich.

1875 Began taking composition lessons with Court Kapellmeister Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer.

1882 After passing his A-levels, Strauss enrolled for a short time at the University of Munich to study philosophy, aesthetics and art history.

1884 Conducting debut: Hans von Bülow entrusted Strauss with conducting the world premiere of his Wind Suite, Op. 4, performed by the Meiningen Court Orchestra.

1885 Through Bülow, Strauss takes up the post of deputy music director in Meiningen. There he meets Alexander Ritter.

1886 Strauss becomes Third Kapellmeister at the Munich Court Opera.

1889 Appointed Second Kapellmeister in Weimar. He also takes on the role of musical assistant at the Bayreuth Festival.

1892/1893 Serious illness caused by a lingering bout of bronchitis. He undertakes a recuperative journey to Greece, Egypt and Sicily.

1894 Engagement and marriage to Pauline de Ahna. Strauss conducts for the first time at the Bayreuth Festival and returns to the Munich Court Opera as Second Kapellmeister.

1897 His son Franz (‘Bubi’) is born.

1898 In October, Strauss becomes First Prussian Kapellmeister at the Berlin Court Opera.

1899 Meets Hugo von Hofmannsthal for the first time in Berlin.

1901 Strauss becomes chairman of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein.

1903 The Cooperative of German Composers is founded, with Strauss as a member of the executive committee.

1904 Strauss undertakes an extensive tour of the USA.

1908 The family moves into the villa in Garmisch. Strauss is appointed General Music Director of the Berlin Court Opera.

1910 Termination of his permanent contract with the Berlin Court Opera.

1919 Together with Franz Schalk, Strauss becomes director of the Vienna State Opera.

1922 Strauss conducts at the first Salzburg Festival, which he founded together with Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Max Reinhardt.

1923 Tour of South America with the Vienna Philharmonic.

1924 Resignation from the directorship of the Vienna State Opera.

1925 Moves into his own house in Vienna.

1929 Strauss’s long-standing librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, dies unexpectedly.

1933 Strauss becomes President of the Reich Music Chamber.

1935 Strauss is forced to resign from his post as President of the Reich Music Chamber following the opera performance of *Die schweigsame Frau*.

1938 Strauss conducts at the cultural policy rally held as part of the Reich Music Festival in Düsseldorf.

1945 In October, Strauss emigrates to Switzerland.

1947 He is granted Austrian citizenship. Strauss conducts his last public concert in England.

1949 Strauss returns to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and is made an honorary citizen. On 8 September, Richard Strauss dies at his villa in Garmisch.