Serenade in E-flat Major, Op. 7
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

THE STORY

Franz Strauss, father of Richard, was the principal horn player of the Bavarian Court Opera and known as the premier practitioner of the instrument in Germany. He instilled in his son a respect for the music of the past, particularly Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn, and the music formulas to which they adhered. His disdain for the music of modern times, particularly the formless, unbridled music of Richard Wagner, was palpable to the younger Strauss, who later described his father viewing Wagner as a “Mephistophelian figure.”

Richard Strauss composed his Serenade for 13 wind instruments at the age of 17, perhaps to impress his illustrious father. The decision to write a serenade was a conservative choice for the times and an homage to Mozart’s mastery of the form. Serenades were popular in the time of monarchies, a century or two before Strauss, composed to be played during summer evenings when kings and queens would hold court outdoors.

Composed in 1881, the Serenade betrays no sign of the composer’s youth. He deftly balances the 13 wind instruments, combining different voices to paint warm colors and interweaving them to create soaring melodies. The work foreshadows the mastery with which he will create his future works, balancing the old and the new, finding his own unique voice by honoring those who came before him.

LISTEN FOR

• The use of four horns—typically, a work of this scope would have two horns; the addition gives this piece a particularly expansive and noble sound and could be heard as a tribute to the composer’s father
• The relationships among the instruments, with higher-pitched voices (flutes, oboes, and clarinets) often playing together and interacting as a group with the lower-pitched instruments (bassoons, contrabassoon, and horns)

INSTRUMENTATION

Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns