Christian Thielemann’s New Book Brings Richard Strauss to Life

Conductor Christian Thielemann’s third book, Richard Strauss – A Contemporary, offers an engaging, witty, and deeply personal look at the legendary composer. Blending biography, anecdotes, and musical analysis, Thielemann examines Strauss’s colorful life, from his fondness for chocolate and card games to his mastery of orchestration.

Thielemann reflects on Strauss’s duality: a composer of lush operas like Ariadne auf Naxos and Der Rosenkavalier, yet often dismissed by contemporaries like Arnold Schoenberg as a “court confectioner.” Drawing on his own experiences conducting Strauss’s works and personal stories from Strauss’s grandchildren, Thielemann portrays him as a modern figure—bold, extravagant, and deeply rooted in tradition.

The book doesn’t shy away from controversy, addressing Strauss’s tenure as president of the Reichsmusikkammer and his meeting with Goebbels. Yet Thielemann’s enthusiasm for Strauss as a “gifted impact aesthete” shines through, making this an entertaining read, even for skeptics of Strauss’s music.