Strauss was born in Munich, Germany in 1864. He lived to the old age of 85 until he peacefuly died in his home in 1949. Strauss began composing music at the early age of 6. He was taught by his father, an accomplished horn player, and was also self-taught. His early pieces, including a violin concerto, string quartet, and a symphony were not very popular and showed some serious problems. However, Strauss was only in his teens when he wrote these and each piece showed increasing mastery