All Strauss operas have their fascination, it would be hard for me personally to pick one favourite but if I had to choose a few then Daphne, Elektra, Rosenkavalier and Capriccio would be amongst them - one couldn't be more different from the other. I even find Friedenstag fascinating. Strauss was an amazingly creative composer, all of his lesser known operas have hidden treasures in them, not one of them is like the other! I can see why opera houses are sometimes reluctant to put them on the programme, I haven't always been a Strauss fan and it takes a while to get into and appreciate his tone language, his rich sound world. But the rewards are high!
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