Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs, composed in 1948, represents the culmination of the composer’s career and a profound reflection on life and mortality. Scored for soprano and orchestra, these four songs—Frühling (Spring), September, Beim Schlafengehen (Going to Sleep), and Im Abendrot (At Sunset)—are settings of texts by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff. They convey a deep sense of serenity, resignation, and transcendence, embodying Strauss’s mastery of lush orchestration and his late Romantic style.

The first song, Frühling, captures the awakening of nature in spring but is imbued with a bittersweet longing, its orchestral textures rich and expansive. September portrays the quiet fading of summer, with the orchestra painting a vivid landscape of golden light and falling leaves. The gentle interplay between the soprano and orchestra enhances the meditative mood.

Beim Schlafengehen is marked by its profound intimacy, highlighted by a soaring violin solo that mirrors the soprano’s ascent into peaceful rest. The text reflects a yearning for release and eternal sleep, themes underscored by Strauss's deeply introspective and luminous orchestration.

The cycle concludes with Im Abendrot, a poignant reflection on life's end and the acceptance of death. The closing lines, accompanied by the orchestral depiction of larks ascending, suggest a spiritual release. This final song, often seen as Strauss's farewell to life, epitomizes his ability to blend text and music into a unified, deeply moving experience.