In May, the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory will host concerts by the musicAeterna orchestra under the direction of Teodor Currentzis

The last songs of Richard Strauss are a harmonious combination of poetry and music, which can be considered his musical testament. Strauss began composing at the age of six and ended his creative career at the age of eighty, leaving a significant mark on the world of symphonic, vocal and operatic music. His last works embody the fusion of music and poetic text, expressing his love for the soprano, which always inspired the composer. These songs, written a year before his death, became a kind of epitaph for the master.

In 1948, feeling the approaching sunset of his life, Strauss turned to Joseph von Eichendorff's poem "Im Abendrot" ("In the Evening Glory"), setting it to music. This song was to be the final one in the cycle, which was later called "The Four Last Songs". In the five months following it, he composed Spring, September and Falling Asleep, reflecting the richness of orchestral colours and gentle lyricism that are characteristic of Strauss's style.

In Im Abendrot, Strauss returns to his early melodic poem Tod Und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), creating a sense of a completed life cycle. A year later, while suffering from a series of heart attacks, he said with surprising calm: "Dying is just as I described in Tod und Verklärung."

Before his death, Strauss expressed the wish that his final work be performed by the renowned soprano Kirsten Flagstad. However, he passed away eight months before the premiere, which took place in London in May 1950. These songs became the apotheosis of the composer's work - a man who lived a rich life and looks at eternity with absolute calm.

Visiting concerts of the musicAeterna orchestra under the direction of Teodor Currentzis at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory will provide a unique opportunity to enjoy the performance of masterpieces of classical music by outstanding contemporary artists.