Libretto by Joseph Gregor, Richard Strauss and Clemens Krauss, after the original idea by Stefan Zweig
Richard Strauss explores the importance of words in opera. The plot of the work involves a countess – a symbol of art – whose affections are divided between two suitors, a poet and a composer. Who should she choose? Decidedly, Strauss attaches particular importance to the intelligibility of the sung text, without forgetting the musical means of the opera, deploying a palette of impressive harmonies and textures.