Richard Strauss lived one of the longest lives of any composer. He was born in 1864, when the American Civil War was raging. By the time he died in 1949, two global conflicts had been fought and the world had changed entirely. This week, Donald Macleod explores the music and stories from five distinct years of Strauss's life. We travel in time from the 19 year old Strauss's first forays as a professional composer, to the final works of an old man, exploring his personal and professional relationships as we go.

In today's programme, 1883, the year in which there was a changing of the guard in German music. Richard Wagner died, and Richard Strauss had his first professional success. Show less