For many people the name Strauss is synonymous with waltz
music, but, this is a completely different Strauss from a completely different
family!
Richard Strauss was a late-Romantic German composer
remembered for his songs (Lieder), his operas (like Salome) and his orchestral
works. Till Eulenspiegel is one of his famous tone poems – an orchestral piece
that tells a story and uses recurring themes to represent various subjects. The
character of Till Eulenspiegel was a German folk hero, originating in the
middle ages, but no-one’s sure if he was a real person or not. Anyway, he was a
bit of a prankster, and keen on misinterpretations! Till’s is represented by
two themes, one played by the French horn, the other by the Eflat clarinet.
The piece is full of jolly tunes as Till goes about his
business, riding his horse, going to market, chasing the ladies, upsetting the
market stalls etc.. Then, the music takes on a serious air as Till is taken to
be beheaded for blasphemy. Although he doesn’t survive, the cheerful theme
comes back at the end – perhaps indicating that Till will never be forgotten!
This is only a short piece, but it’s crammed full of
interesting stuff – interesting instrumentation, interesting tunes, interesting
ideas – and is well worth a listen!
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