Richard Strauss and his Heroines

A film by Thomas von Steinaecker, featuring Brigitte Fassbaender, Renée Fleming, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Christa Ludwig, Christian Strauss, Rufus Wainwright and others.

The film 'Richard Strauss and his Heroines' explores Strauss’ relationship to women. The primary focus lies on his attachment to Pauline, his wife of more than 55 years. Strauss experienced the most varied of epochs in German history, from the Empire to Nazi dictatorship and the post-war period. How did the image of women change in this time and what influence did it have on Strauss’ work? And above all: how did Strauss achieve to express the finest feminine feelings in his music?

Exploring these questions we meet Strauss’ last surviving grandchild, who had first hand experience of the married life of his grandparents. There are interviews with the great Strauss singers Brigitte Fassbaender, Renée Fleming, Dame Gwyneth Jones and Christa Ludwig, who talk of their famous Strauss roles, whilst Rufus Wainwright, conductor Franz Welser-Möst and other Strauss experts lead us through the film.

'Richard Strauss and his Heroines' is the first filmed documentation about the unforgettable heroines created by Strauss and how they affected his life and his marriage.

Bonus Features:
Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts Till Eulenspiegel and an excerpt from Ein Leben für die Musik (A life for music)

Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Picture Format: 16:9
DVD Format: DVD 9 / NTSC
Audio Language: DE
Subtitle Languages: GB, FR, JP, Korean
Running Time: 52 mins + 23 mins (Bonus)
FSK: 0
Region Code: 0
Worldwide available