Oscar Straus - Der Traum ein Leben; Die Prinzessin von Tragant (Ernst Theis)

Information

Composer: Oscar Straus

• Der Traum ein Leben
• Die Prinzessin von Tragant

Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt

Ernst Theis, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Oscar Straus (1870–1954) achieved early recognition in March 1898 with a symphonic poem inspired by Franz Grillparzer’s Der Traum, ein Leben, which was warmly received in Mainz, where Straus was working as a conductor. Contemporary press praised the work’s melodic flow and refined harmony, noting its enthusiastic reception by audiences. Despite this success, Straus is best known for his later operetta A Waltz Dream (1907), which became an enduring international success. Another stage work, The Princess of Tragant, premiered at the Vienna Court Opera in 1912, was also well received but eventually overshadowed by his more famous operetta, which defined his lasting reputation in light music and operetta history.

Ernst Theis (b. 1961) is an Austrian conductor and music scholar educated at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He began his career with the Österreichische Kammersymphoniker, serving as artistic and managing director from 1991 to 2003, where he focused on classical modernism, contemporary music, and later Viennese classical repertoire. After engagements including Kapellmeister at the Vienna Volksoper and a prize at the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, he developed an international conducting career with leading orchestras across Europe and beyond, including in Russia, Poland, Germany, and Japan. From 2003 to 2013 he was chief conductor of the Dresden State Operetta, where he significantly expanded the institution’s artistic profile. His work also includes long-term research and recording projects such as “RadioMusiken,” collaborations with major broadcasters and orchestras, and ongoing performances spanning repertoire from early Viennese classical music to contemporary works.