Daphne (1936-1937), Strauss' second collaboration with the librettist Josef Gregor, marked the composer's return to classical mythology as the basis for his work. The origins of this opera date to 1935, when Strauss and Gregor were discussing their work on Friedenstag (1935-1936). As originally conceived, Daphne was to be a one-act opera to be paired with Friedenstag as a double bill. The plot concerns the Greek myth of the nymph Daphne, the daughter of a river god. After catching the attention of Apollo, she flees from him; in order to keep her, Apollo changes her into a laurel tree for all eternity. The story, best known in the version presented in Ovid's Metamorphoses, has served as an operatic subject since the seventeenth century; a notable instance is one of Handel's first (though now mostly lost) operas, Daphne (1706).

Gregor and Strauss worked through several drafts of the libretto before arriving at a final version. Earlier versions differ from the final product largely in the manner in which Strauss made use of the chorus to frame the work; most significantly, Strauss ultimately discarded the idea, which he had used in Friedenstag, of ending the opera with a chorus. By instead ending the opera instrumentally, Strauss arrived at an effective conclusion: Daphne's transformation into a tree is left to the imagination of the audience rather than presented in a didactic manner. In fact, the use of orchestral passages in Daphne is one of the most important elements of its effectiveness. The instrumental opening at once sets the stage for the fable and evokes its rustic tone. When Strauss calls for purely instrumental forces at the end of the opera, he not only underscores Daphne's transformation, but also provides a subtle framing device.

Daphne, one of Strauss' finest operatic efforts, compares favorably with his more popular works for the stage. The composer himself felt it to be the first true opera he had composed, demonstrating his capacity for self-criticism even at that advanced stage of his development. Its settings reflect a balance between declamation and the lyricism for which Strauss was so noted; solo passages give way to thicker textures, and the use of the chorus complements various scenes. Daphne was first performed in Dresden on October 15, 1938. Since then, it has enjoyed a life independent of its pairing with Friedenstag.

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