Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra en Rosenkavalier Suite

Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra

With the symphonic poem Also Sprach Zarathustra, Richard Strauss optimistically took on the pessimism of Friedrich Nietzsche. The imposing opening became famous through Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. But are you also familiar with the eight movements following that sunrise? They are mysterious, evocative, and captivating. Strauss did not depict the story of Nietzsche’s philosophical book, but rather viewed the piece as a musical reflection on Nietzsche’s ideas. The tension between man and nature, between religion and morality, and man’s quest for elevation all resonate throughout. The rich orchestral sound, the sultry harmonies, and the endless melodies: it is all Richard Strauss through and through.

Rosenkavalier Suite

In the suite from his successful opera Der Rosenkavalier , Richard Strauss dreams of eighteenth-century Vienna. The suite opens with a passionate scene between two of the main characters. This is followed by tender love, graceful Viennese waltzes, and ecstatic climaxes. Bordering on operetta, Strauss composed music with a wink, of the very highest caliber, and with an unexpected depth. For beneath the gleaming and shiny surface, amidst the champagne and the waltzes, Der Rosenkavalier is a story about time and aging, about love and loneliness.