Gottfried Veit

Richard Strauss-Musik II

Richard Strauss (born 1864 in Munich – died 1949 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen) is without doubt one of the most important composers of the late Romantic period. His works combine, in exemplary fashion, sophisticated harmony with colourful orchestration. With his symphonic poems such as "Don Juan", "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks", "Also sprach Zarathustra" and "An Alpine Symphony", and his operas such as "Der Rosenkavalier", "Ariadne auf Naxos", "Arabella" and "Capriccio", he created an extraordinary monument not only to himself but also for posterity. What makes Richard Strauss particularly appealing, however, is the fact that he not only enriched every musical genre creatively, but also wrote a great deal of functional music.

Since Richard Strauss even wrote a whole series of pieces for large brass ensemble, such as "Feierlicher Einzug der Ritter des Johanniterordens", "Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare", "Festmusik der Stadt Wien" and "Fanfare zur Eröffnung der Musikwoche der Stadt Wien", he is also highly esteemed in the brass and wind band scene.

To expand this very special repertoire a little further, the South Tyrolean composer Gottfried Veit wrote this "stylistic copy" in an instrumentation typical of Strauss for 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4 horns, bass tuba and 4 timpani. This work, entitled "Richard Strauss-Musik II (No. 2)", follows on from Gottfried Veit's "Richard Strauss-Musik" and aims to be nothing more, but also nothing less, than a fitting tribute to the master Richard Strauss.