During a performance in Berlin in 1913, Richard Strauss saw Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and was so delighted by them that he declared his readiness to compose the ballet pantomime Joseph’s Legend for this extraordinary ensemble. + The Biblical story tells of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, a rich and powerful woman who sexual desire for the unspoiled shepherd boy. + To depict the sumptuous sound world of the Orient, Strauss exploits all the resources the late-romantic orchestra has to offer.