Classical Music Dateline: June 11
Richard Strauss, German composer and conductor
He has no relation to the "Waltz" Strauss family of Vienna. A composer and conductor of the Romantic era, Richard Strauss is best known for his symphonic poems, eg., Also Sprach Zarathustra.
Also sprach zarathustra, Op.30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra), a tone poem by Richard Strauss, was composed in 1896, inspired by the philosophical novel of Friedrich Nietzsche. It was first performed in Frankfurt on November 27, 1896, conducted by the composer himself.
This music has been part of the classical repertoire since its first performance. It became particularly well-known to the public due to its use in the 1968 film produced by Stanley Kubrick: 2001: a Space Odyssey.
Richard Strauss, German composer and conductor
Born in Munich on June 11, 1865.
He has no relation to the "Waltz" Strauss family of Vienna. A composer and conductor of the Romantic era, Richard Strauss is best known for his symphonic poems, eg., Also Sprach Zarathustra.
Also sprach zarathustra, Op.30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra), a tone poem by Richard Strauss, was composed in 1896, inspired by the philosophical novel of Friedrich Nietzsche. It was first performed in Frankfurt on November 27, 1896, conducted by the composer himself.
(Sincere apology. The video is no longer available but hopefully will be replaced as soon as possible. Tel / 25 October 2022.)
My personal favourite? Richard Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs). Here,
Jessye Norman sings R. Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder. Uploaded by VoiceVirtuoso. Accessed June 11, 2015. A beautiful interpretation of Richard Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) by American soprano Jessye Norman, with Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. The clarity and simplicity, the purity of sentiment about death and physical loss, the beautiful melodic soprano voice soaring ... the composer drops his own mask, unveiled. As one classical music lover, listening intently, I'm drawn to a moment of serenity, a kind of contained heartache, dissolved in the beauty of this four last songs. The songs are "Frühling" (Spring), "September", "Beim Schlafengehen" (When Falling Asleep) and "Im Abendrot" (At Sunset). The title 'Four Last Songs' was provided posthumously by Strauss's friend Ernst Roth, who published the four songs as a single unit in 1950 after Richard Strauss's death. Strauss died in September 1949.
Other highly recommended listening:
Richard Strauss: Don Quixote for Cello Solo. Yo-Yo Ma, cellist.
Richard Strauss's Don Quixote for Cello. Bernstein, conducting. Schuster, cello. New York Philharmonic.
R. Strauss' "Burlesque in D minor, for piano and orchestra," performed by Martha Argerich. This piece has been known to be difficult, for a time, unplayable, and only recorded by handful of pianists.
Resources:
Alsop on Music / Also Sprach Zarathustra: Decoding Strauss' Tone Poem. NPR.org. Accessed June 11, 2014
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra. YouTube, uploaded by Classical Vault 1. Accessed March 6, 2017. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Salzburg, 2014.
(c) June 2011. Updated June 11, 2017. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
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