The soothing sounds of symphony music are best enjoyed when the notes are composed by the legendary German composer Richard Strauss. Strauss always had an affinity for music even at a young age when he was trained on various instruments including both the piano and the violin. His father also encouraged him to study music, and thus Strauss had become extremely versed in all areas of classical music by the time he reached adulthood. When he was just 17 years old, he composed Serenade for 13 Winds Op. 7. The piece made an impression on many other musical greats during that time, and Strauss was hailed as instrumental to the classical genre.

Strauss came to greatly admire the work of Wagner and Liszt and eventually began to tour around Europe and the United States, conducting and composing and gaining widespread admiration among many fans of classical music. Strauss helped to bring to life the tone poem from the German Romantic era, with works like Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben and Also Sprach Zarathustra. The latter composition is likely recognized as Strauss's most notable achievement because of its use in the film 2001 A Space Odyssey.

What was remarkable about Strauss was his constant search for experimentation and his desire to venture outside the norm. Some of his greatest pieces came when he turned more intently to opera, with pieces like Salome, Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier. He became heralded as a magnificent composer throughout the 1920s, although he was entangled in allegations of cooperation with Nazi propaganda during the 1930s and on into the 1940s. However, after the war he continued composing for a short time, ending with the incredibly beautiful Four Last Songs.