Strauss Wednesdays

The music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949) has always thrived in concert halls and on recordings, attractive to performers and audiences alike. This season, his works can be heard throughout New York, including at the Metropolitan Opera, which is presenting Ariadne auf Naxos through April 12 (with Deborah Voigt, Natalie Dessay, and Suzanne Mentzer), at the New York Philharmonic, and on any number of recital stages. Strauss has been equally well-served on recordings.
Each Wednesday throughout April, during the 10pm hour of Evening Music, host David Garland presents a sampling of both recent and classic Strauss recordings. The series begins on Wednesday, April 2 with a rarity and a favorite:

The 1902 orchestral song "Die heil'gen drei Kön'ge aus Morgenland," Op. 56 performed by the Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski. Listen to how Isokoski's radiant voice and stunning legato illuminate the artful simplicity of this song. With Marek Janowski leading the Radio-Symphonie-Orch Berlin. (Ondine).

The celebrated symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra Op 30, performed in a classic recording by Klaus Tennstedt leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI 49951).

Future installments of Strauss Wednesdays include:

April 9: Rosenkavalier film music conducted by R. Strauss (EMI)
April 16: An Alpine Symphony; Christian Thielemann, conductor; Vienna Philharmonic (DG)
April 23: Capriccio: closing scene; soprano Renee Fleming; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor; Vienna Philharmonic (Decca)
April 30: Enoch Arden, Op 38; Paul Schmitt, narrator; Ivar Mikhasoff, piano (text, Lord Alfred Tennyson)

Additional Resources:

Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera

A Richard Strauss Biography