“Never have I really believed in inspiration by the beauty of nature; I was put right by the ruins of Rome. There my ideas just flew to me.” (Richard Strauss) "Aus Italien" was the first major symphonic poem mirroring diverse moods to be composed by Richard Strauss and that was to be followed by later masterpieces such as Don Juan, Tod und Verklärung, Ein Heldenleben or Eine Alpensinfonie. The Venetian Suite was written in 1935 by then almost 60-year-old Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. It is the music of an opera composer, accustomed to illustrating events with his music, and yet in his concert works handing over many things to the imagination of the listeners, not wanting to give all the answers in advance. Ariane Matiakh is a promising conductor leading the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin on this recording. The ensemble with Matiakh at the helm has been featured in several other Capriccio productions that have been acclaimed by the press.