Richard Strauss is one of the most famous and successful composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. He wrote over 250 works, was a gifted conductor, cosmopolitan freethinker and committed to cultural affairs. But he was also a strict family father, a patriarch who rarely tolerated contrary views – a man who planned everything to the last detail, from his domestic life to his musical works, and even the time after his death. Gabriele Strauss is the wife of his grandson Richard and current manager of the Strauss Archiv. Together with filmmaker and archive specialist Barbara Wunderlich, she takes us on a historical journey, uncovering many previously unpublished photos, diaries and letters from the Strauss family archive. The archive is still housed in the villa in Garmisch – built exactly to Strauss's specifications – where he composed most of his musical works. The documentary on the accompanying DVD ''Richard Strauss – Skizze eines Lebens” (Richard Strauss – Sketches Of A Life) casts a closer look at the Strauss villa in Garmisch – a place where the spirit of the composer seems to linger so strongly, it's as if he were still alive. The director Marieke Schroeder conducts interviews with family members and contemporaries such as Christian and Gabriele Strauss, Inge Borkh and Brigitte Fassbaender, who provide unique insights into the life, musical works, and the ideas of the great composer. Arthaus Musik is now releasing the exclusive first edition of this fascinating book/film combination, which is an invaluable addition to the collection of new and long-time Strauss fans.