Wasn't the reason for Strauss's behaviour at the podium that he was
longing to get back to his game of skat (or was it whist?).

It is interesting what images of Strauss still come up.  I saw a program
on New Year's Eve called Hitler's Women (somehow strange programming for
New Year's Eve) and that showed Strauss being welcomed at the door of
the Bayreuther Festspeilhaus by Winifred Wagner (do I have the right
Wagner?) and her conductor/boyfriend/Hitler-substitute Hans Tietzen
(?spelling?Christian name).  During that welcome, short though it was,
Strauss is quite animated and effusive and speaks clearly and deeply.

I think that might have been the first time I have heard Strauss speak
and his voice was unexpected in its timbre but I am unsure just how I
expected him to speak.  Are there any other recordings of his speech or
DVDs of him in action (other than the Great Conductors DVD)?

Leon Le Leu
Sydney