Capriccio (opera)

Capriccio is an opera by German composer Richard Strauss.

Related Topics:
Opera - German - Richard Strauss

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Capriccio was Strauss's final work (Op. 85) which premiered in Munich in 1942, five years before Strauss's death. The libretto was written by Clemens Krauss and Strauss himself.

Related Topics:
Munich - Libretto - Clemens Krauss

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He subtitled it "A Conversation Piece for Music," and it is indeed "talky" and conversational, with minimal stage action. Its subject can be summarized as, "Which is more important: words or music?"

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This question is dramatized in the story of a Countess torn between two suitors: Olivier, a poet, and Flamand, a composer. In her salon outside Paris, the two prepare for her birthday celebrations and vie for her affections by debating the merits of words versus music. Joining the lively debate are a theatre director, La Roche; an actress, Clairon; the Countess's brother; and a pair of Italian opera singers.

Related Topics:
Salon - Paris

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Words and music, of course, join together to create the unique art form of opera. Capriccio has a reputation as something of an insider's opera, an opera about opera for opera lovers. (In recent years, it has been described by reviewers as a "meta-opera".)

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