Richard Strauss (11th June 1864 – 8th September 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era and early modern eras, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems Death and Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Also sprach Zarathustra, An Alpine Symphony, and other orchestral works, such as Metamorphosen. Strauss was also a prominent conductor throughout Germany and Austria.