On August 10 and 11, Elza van den Heever will perform Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder (“Four Last Songs”) at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival. She will be accompanied by the Saito Kinen Orchestra under the baton of the festival’s principal guest conductor, Nodoka Okisawa.
Composed in 1948 near the end of Strauss’ life, Vier letzte Lieder are celebrated for their lush orchestration and profound reflections on life, death, and transcendence. These four orchestral songs are considered some of Strauss’ most beautiful and poignant works, often performed and cherished for their serene and contemplative nature.
Ms. van den Heever, a well-known Strauss interpreter, has previously performed this stunning set of songs with the San Francisco Symphony and the Orchestre de Paris, with the latter performance being streamed live to audiences worldwide.
This concert program will also include excerpts from Mendelssohn’s Ein Sommernachtstraum, Op. 61, and Strauss’ symphonic poem Don Juan, Op. 20.
Photo: Jiyang Chen