The tonal language of the young Richard Strauss is still characterized by the traditions of the 19th Century; indeed, the musical content of the composer’s early piano works is determined to a large extent by his response to the examples of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann.
These previously unpublished piano pieces appear for the first time in this edition. The “Sonatinas” in several movements and a “Fantasie” from the year 1874 - whose level of difficulty is comparable with the Sonatinas by Kuhlau and Clementi and with early pieces by Mozart - are versatile pieces suitable for teaching purposes.