Extensively revised, Michael Kennedy's highly-acclaimed account of Richard Strauss's life and music enters its second edition. The life was rich in controversy, from the 'outrage' caused by operas Salome and Elektra to the years under the Nazi regime. In his survey of the music, rejecting the generally accepted view that Strauss's genius declined in his middle years, Michael Kennedy traces refinements of style from the early 1920s to Strauss's late works.