Information
Composer: Richard Strauss
- Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) Op. posth. TrV 296 (2025 Remastered, Berlin 1965)
- Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) Op. posth. TrV 296 (2025 Remastered, London 1953)
- Capriccio, Op. 85: Final. "Morgen mittag um eif" (2025 Remastered, London 1953)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / George Szell, conductor
Philharmonia Orchestra / Otto Ackermann, conductor
Date: 2025
Label: Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording
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Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs (Vier letzte Lieder), composed in 1948 at age 84, are his final completed works, aside from the later song Malven. The set includes “Frühling” (Spring), “September,” “Beim Schlafengehen” (When Falling Asleep), and “Im Abendrot” (At Sunset). The title was assigned posthumously by Strauss’s friend Ernst Roth, who published them together in 1950. Strauss passed away in September 1949. The premiere took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on May 22, 1950, featuring soprano Kirsten Flagstad with the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Wilhelm Furtwängler.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915–2006) was a renowned German soprano celebrated for her interpretations of lieder and operatic roles, particularly in works by Mozart and Richard Strauss. Trained in Berlin and England, she debuted in 1938 and later performed with leading opera houses including the Vienna State Opera, Covent Garden, La Scala, and the Salzburg Festival. Her signature roles included the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier) and Pamina (The Magic Flute). Though her Nazi Party membership during WWII drew controversy, her artistry remained widely respected. Married to record producer Walter Legge, she made acclaimed recordings and was named Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1992.
High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz
