Strauss was no stranger to Orientalism, not only within
Salome (1905), of course, but also in the less celebrated
Die ägyptische Helena (1928), which he had just completed before embarking on these
Gesänge des Orients. The texts are taken from Hans Bethge's collection of Middle and Far Eastern poetry entitled
Die chinesische Flöte, which had already furnished Mahler with the texts for his
Das Lied von der Erde. We being with the impressionistic reverie of 'Ihre Augen', more restrained than Strauss's earlier Lieder, but employing dissonance and the singer's upper range to ravishing effect. 'Schwung' is a lurchingly heroic drinking song, before Strauss moves on to the chinoiserie of 'Liebesgeschenke', described with a not dissimilar touch to the Scherzo-like songs in the middle of
Das Lied von der Erde. 'Die Allmächtige' is fittingly much grander, with a lavish quasi-orchestral accompaniment. It is therefore strange that Strauss never did provide a more fulsome arrangement of these songs, which conclude with the giddy love song 'Huldigung', with its delicious non-functional harmonic splashes, building to a thrilling top C.
Click here to listen to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's performance.
The painting is 'Am Fuss des Petit Salève' by Ferdinand Hodler.
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