Strauss Other Programatic Music example essay topic

381 words
Richard Strauss (1964-1949) was born of the famous virtuoso horniest and composer Franz Strauss. The father Strauss was known for his opposition to new musical forms. Richard's mother was also musical and he began studying music in his hometown of Munich at a young age. Through his father's dislike for emerging musical style, Richard was educated in the classical style, therefore used this to his advantage in composing a unique type of music using some elements of classicism, but qualifying still as 20th century. He made himself famous with his series of programatic tone poems such as the ones listed above. Tod and Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration) was written in 1889.

It depicts a man on his deathbed as he remembers his happy, earlier days and reflects on some of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his life. Struggling with the acceptance of his imminent death, the piece moves through Strauss' trademark sweeping sections which lead to quite sections back into more fast-paced music. The piece ends in calm giving the listener the impression of a peaceful and finally satisfying end. The finish of Till Eulespiegel's lustig e St reiche (Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks) is slightly more disconcerting. The story of Till, the mischievous bug that he is, goes like this: Till causes some discord in the marketplace, and later among some scholars. He is tried for his wrongdoing and put to death by either hanging or beheading, thus the gigantic diminished chord about 2 minutes from the end with heavy low brass.

There is a woodwind line which could make one think of the severed head dropping into a basket. Don Juan is Strauss' take on the Nicolas Lena u fragmentary poem under the same title. It is the story of an idealist in search of the perfect woman. Don Juan, being of a new style was at first difficult for german orchestras of the time to perform. Like much of Strauss' other programatic music, Don Juan takes the listener through many moods; merriment, anguish, longing, exhilaration. Indeed Strauss has the capability to express many things in each of his relatively short pieces and also the great ability to tell stories in music..