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‘Malven’: Richard Strauss's ‘letzte Rose!’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

John M. Kissler
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Extract

Thirty-six years after the completion of September from the Vier Letzte Leider, presumed to be the last work penned by Richard Strauss, an autograph manuscript reappeared containing a lied composed for solo voice and piano, and it is this which is now considered to be the last completed work of Strauss. It is entided Malven (Mallows), set to the poem by Swiss poet and novelist, Betty Wehrli-Knobel (b. 13 July 1904). The lied was completed in Montreux on 23 November 1948, a full two months after Strauss had finished September, and bears the dedication to Maria Jeritza: Der geliebten Maria dieser letzte Rose!

Type
Research Article
Information
Tempo , Issue 185 , June 1993 , pp. 18 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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References

1 Schuh, Willi, ‘Unvollendete Spätwerke von Richard Strauss’, Schweizerische Musikzeitung, XC, (1950), 392–402 Google Scholar.

2 Petersen, Barbara A., Ton und Wort: The Lieder of Richard Strauss (UMI Research Press: 1980), 222 Google Scholar, footnote 7.

3 Petersen, Barbara A., ‘Richard Strauss In 1948–49: Malven, September Und Letzte Briefe an Maria Jeritza’, (English version) Richard Strauss-Blätter, Neue Folge, 31 (1988), 3–20 Google Scholar.

4 Op. cit., 222, footnote 7 (see Jefferson, Alan, The Lieder of Richard Strauss (New York, Praeger, 1971), 112)Google Scholar. ‘In 1968 she confused the world by announcing to the Press that she had the score of an unpublished song by Richard Strauss which started: “When at last I close my great weary eyes …”’

5 Philip Ramey, New York Philharmonic Program Notes, 10 January 1985, 12A. Ramey includes an excerpt translation of Strauss's letter to Jeritza, dated 7 March 1949. In Sotheby's auction catalogue, Strauss is quoted from a letter he wrote to Jeritza: ‘… Vor ich am 15 Dezember meine Vergnüngungsreise in die Klinik angetreten habe, ich noch beilegendes Liedchen angefertigt. Vielleicht kann ich Ihnen damit ein kleines Vergnüngen bereiten. Bitte lassen Sie es für mich fotografieren u[nd] behalten Sie das Manuscript!…’ This letter, in addition to others written by Strauss between 25 July 1948 to 1 July 1949, was auctioned collectively [lot 814] on the same date as Malven [lot 809]. Other correspondence included details in the composition of Malven and September.

6 Letter dated 16 March 1949. Grasberger, Franz, ‘Der Strom der Tone trug mich fort’, Die Welt urn Richard Strauss in Briefen (Tutzing: 1967), 469 Google Scholar. ‘Wie soll und wie kann ich Ihnen für das herrliche Lied danken? Die Menschen weinen vor Lied, die Menschen weinen aber auch vor Freud. Letzteres ist bei mir der Fall gewesen. Ich hab vor tauter Freude wie ein Schlosshund geheult. Wir danken Ihnen vom ganzen Herzen für all die Glückseligkeit, die Sie uns durch die beiden herelichen Lieder gegeben haben’.

7 Petersen, Barbara A., op.cit., Richard Strauss-Blätter, Neue Folge, 31 (1988), 7 Google Scholar.

8 Raraey, Philip, New York Philharmonic Program Notes, 10 01 1985, 12A Google Scholar.

9 Cataloguing of Malven and other items from the Jeritza estate as published in Sotheby's Auction Catalogue, Lots 809–814.

10 Telephone conversation between myself and David Redden of Sotheby's in New York City, 12 September 1990.

11 Wehrli-Knobel, Betty, Neue Gedichte, (Zürich: Verlag Die Ausfahrt, 1949)Google Scholar. The Strauss sketches include the following inscription: ‘Betty Knobel: Neue Gedichte, Verlag Die Ausfahrt Zürich’.

12 Die Weltwoche 11 (Nr.781, 29 10. 1948) S. 10Google Scholar, dort Besprechung von: Betty Knobel, Neue Gedichte, Verlag Die Ausfahrt o.J., mit Abdruck von Malven. Die Texte Da hieder von Richard Strauss: Kritische Ausgabe von Rrinhold Schlötterer (Pfaffenhofen: W. Ludwig Verlag, 1988), 252 Google Scholar.

13 Letter to Alice Strauss, 19 January 1990.

14 ‘Richard Strauss hat das Gedicht “Malven” in der Zürcher Zeitung gefunden und danach vertont. … andere Unterlagen habe ich nicht’. Letter from Alice Strauss, 3 February 1990.

15 Letter to Alice Strauss, 21 March 1990.

16 Postcard from Dr. Franz Trenner, 25 April 1990.

17 Letter from Betty Wehrli-Knobel, 14 August 1991.

18 Ramey, Philip, New York Philharmonic Stagebill, 10 01 1985, 12B Google Scholar.

19 Petersen, Barbara A., op.cit., Richard Strauss-Blätter, Neue Folge, 31 (1988), 19, footnote 9Google Scholar.

20 Dr. Roe's translation appeared in the programme notes of the New York Philharmonic's 10 January 1985 première of the work, 12B.

21 Letter from Stephen Roe, 24 November 1989.

22 Wilhelm, Kurt, Richard Strauss: An Intimate Portrait, tr. Whittall, Mary (Thames and Hudson, Ltd.: 1989), 282 Google Scholar.