"Capriccio", subtitled as a conversation piece with music and premiered in Munich in 1942, became the sum of Richard Strauss' compositional work, his farewell to opera and shows his (ambivalent) insistence on the autonomy of art in times of world war: In a rococo chateau near Paris, the poet Olivier, the composer Flamant and the countess Madeleine negotiate not only their erotic relationship to each other, but also the question - fundamental in opera history,
what is more important for opera: the music or the word? Prima la musica, poi le parole? What Richard Strauss came up with in this regard is of the finest quality and of an overabundant richness of relationships. Starting with the wonderful string sextet at the beginning of the opera, through the bubbling parlando, the seemingly weightless conversational tone, fugue, sonnet and octet to the poetic moonlight piece and the sentimental-ironic finale. How does the undecided Gräfi n ask her reflection at the end? "Can
you help me fi nd the ending for her opera? Is there one that is not trivial?""The sound ground for this "Capriccio" new production is prepared with Strauss experience by the Sächsische Staatskapelle under its chief conductor Christian Thielemann. There is a rich sound with power and refinement, there are plenty of soloistic subtleties and stirring arcs

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/capriccio/hnum/11073180