Richard Strauss (1864–1949) was a dominant German composer and conductor, bridging late Romanticism and early Modernism, renowned for his innovative tone poems (like Also sprach Zarathustra) and operas (Salome, Der Rosenkavalier). A musical prodigy from a musical family in Munich, he became a leading conductor and administrator, navigating Germany's tumultuous political history, including a complicated relationship with the Nazis, while composing prolifically until his death, leaving a legacy of orchestral mastery and song.