Richard Strauss | Large photographic portrait signed, with an autograph musical quotation from "Die schweigsame Frau", 1936

Richard Strauss

Large photographic portrait signed ("DRichardStrauss") and inscribed with an autograph musical quotation from his opera Die schweigsame Frau

the four-bar quotation written by Strauss on a hand-drawn stave below the image, from the final scene in which Sir Morosus sings the closing aria "Wie schön ist doch die Musik" 

by Cirmella of Milan, 30.5 x 22.5cm, Zurich, 3 June 1936

In June 1936 Strauss travelled to Zurich to attend the Swiss premiere of his opera Die schweigsame Frau (first performed Dresden, 24 June 1935). Earlier in March 1936 Strauss was present at the first Italian production, at La Scala, Milan, where the present photographic portrait was produced by the well-known Cirmella studio.