Classical Music Playlist, July 24, 2026
Scene from a 1926 film of "Der Rosenkavalier"
The Richard Strauss opera Der Rosenkavalier from 1911 is set in Vienna in the 1740s, about a hundred years before Johann Strauss Jr popularized the waltz. Putting historic accuracy aside, Richard Strauss composed plenty of new music in three-quarter time for a nostalgic nod to the charms of old Vienna. In 1945 Strauss didn’t arrange, but did approve, the creation of a Suite of music from his opera. That Rosenkavalier Concert Suite is today’s Midday Masterpiece.
