Soprano Renee Fleming, who is considered to be one of the foremost interpreters of Richard Strauss's music of her generation, has returned to the composer's "Four Last Songs" more often than any other work in her repertoire. This album marks her second recorded performance of the cycle. Fleming's mature interpretation distills a wealth of meanings and textures uncovered during a career-long engagement with one of Strauss's most enigmatic works. The songs evince a tranquil contemplation of death and nature, a reflection of their creation in the composer's twilight years. The all-Strauss album is rounded out with four orchestral songs, three of them new additions to Fleming's repertoire, along with arias from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and DIE AGYPTISCHE HELENA. Fleming is given rich support by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christian Thielemann.