Richard Strauss: At the End of the Rainbow

Richard Strauss (1864–1949) was an intriguing personality, sometimes self-deprecating, yet other times speaking of himself in the most exalted terms. Filmmaker Eric Schulz's visually gorgeous documentary offers a highly laudatory portrait of Strauss as a composer but is especially significant in its assessment of his conducting. Schulz draws on rare footage to illustrate Strauss's minimalist baton technique (which secured extraordinary results from adoring orchestral members), and even rarer performances that were broadcast during World War II. Interwoven throughout are incisive observations (from scholars, relatives, and musicians), as well as a couple of linking devices: in one, actors recite letters exchanged between Strauss and his wife to illuminate their domestic life; in another a young soprano is coached by veteran Strauss specialist Brigitte Fassbaender to properly sing the composer's many lieder. Strauss's relationship with the Nazi regime (not always amicable) is also gently touched upon (Schulz has unearthed film of Strauss conducting the anthem he composed for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and personally performed before Hitler). Along the way, there are also trenchant comments about whether Strauss's romantic style represented a culmination of the movement begun by Beethoven and a rejection of modernism. Although somewhat repetitious, this is overall a beautifully wrought tribute to an outstanding 20th-century musician. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)