The early works of Richard Strauss: philological, analytical and contextual studies

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Walter Werbeck
• Subject Area: Musicology
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390304595

The project aims at a systematic research of Richard Strauss's compositional beginning. The main focus lies on his works TrV 1-105: from his earliest attempts in 1870 until his first comprehensive works, played in public and published in 1881. Until now the compositions of these early years were interpreted as negligible steps of a musical talent, and also any research on this topic was handicapt by a very complicated situation of the sources.To outline the musical and mainly the compositional development of young Strauss this project will work on three areas of research : philology, analysis, contexts. Essential is a philological study of the sources: a pioneering feat given the fact that any Strauss-philology is still in the early stages. Analytical studies will bring to light Strauss' compositional strategies and their changes. Finally all the findings will be incorporated in biographical and local contexts. As the project is based on an amount of unknown or undeveloped sources it will give substantial insights in the compositionaly biography of the young Richard Strauss. The project worked on by Marcel Klinke will lead into Mr. Klinke's Dissertation at Greifswald University.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants