Posted on Nov 27, 2018
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra | Music Appreciation
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On November 27, 1896, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (Thus Spake Zarathustra) by Richard Strauss, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel, debuted in Frankfurt. From the article:
"Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra | Music Appreciation
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) s a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour.
“Sunrise” – the opening fanfare
The work has been part of the classical repertoire since its first performance in 1896. The initial fanfare – entitled “Sunrise” in the composer’s program notes – became particularly well-known after its use in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Instrumentation
The orchestra consists of the following:
woodwinds: piccolo, 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, English horn, clarinet in E-flat, 2 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet in B-flat, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon
brass: 6 horns in F and E, 4 trumpets in C and E, 3 trombones, 2 tubas
percussion: timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, bell on low E
keyboard: organ
strings: 2 harps, violins I, II (16 each), violas (12), cellos (12), double basses (8) (with low C string).
Structure
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of the book:
Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang (Introduction, or Sunrise)
Von den Hinterweltlern (Of Those in Backwaters)
Von der großen Sehnsucht (Of the Great Longing)
Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften (Of Joys and Passions)
Das Grablied (The Song of the Grave)
Von der Wissenschaft (Of Science and Learning)
Der Genesende (The Convalescent)
Das Tanzlied (The Dance Song)
Nachtwandlerlied (Song of the Night Wanderer)
The piece starts with a sustained double low C on the double basses, contrabassoon and organ. This transforms into the brass fanfare of the Introduction and introduces the “dawn” motif (from “Zarathustra’s Prologue”, the text of which is included in the printed score) that is common throughout the work: the motif includes three notes, in intervals of a fifth and octave, as C–G–C (known also as the Nature-motif). On its first appearance, the motif is a part of the first five notes of the natural overtone series: octave, octave and fifth, two octaves, two octaves and major third (played as part of a C major chord with the third doubled). The major third is immediately changed to a minor third, which is the first note played in the work (E flat) that is not part of the overtone series.
“Of Those in Backwaters” (or “Of the Forest Dwellers”) begins with cellos, double-basses and organ pedal before changing into a lyrical passage for the entire section. The next two sections, “Of the Great Yearning” and “Of Joys and Passions”, both introduce motifs that are more chromatic in nature.
“Of Science” features an unusual fugue beginning in the double-basses and cellos, which consists of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale. It is one of the very few sections in the orchestral literature where the basses must play a contra-b (lowest b on a piano).
“The Convalescent” acts as a reprise of the original motif, and ends with the entire orchestra climaxing on a massive chord.
“The Dance Song” features a very prominent violin solo throughout the section.
The end of the “Song of the Night Wanderer” leaves the piece half resolved, with high flutes, piccolos and violins playing a B major chord, while the lower strings pluck a C.
One of the major compositional themes of the piece is the contrast between the keys of B major, representing humanity, and C major, representing the universe. Because B and C are adjacent notes, these keys are tonally dissimilar: B major uses five sharps, while C major has none.
World riddle theme
There are two opinions about the World riddle theme. Some sources denote the fifth/octave intervals (C–G–C8va) as the World riddle motif. However, other sources refer to the two conflicting keys in the final section as representing the World riddle (C–G–C B–F♯-B8va), with the unresolved harmonic progression being an unfinished or unsolved riddle: the melody does not conclude with a well-defined tonic note as being either C or B, hence it is unfinished. The ending of the composition has been described:
But the riddle is not solved. The tone-poem ends enigmatically in two keys, the Nature-motif plucked softly, by the basses in its original key of C—and above the woodwinds, in the key of B major. The unsolvable end of the universe: for Strauss was not pacified by Nietzsche’s solution.
—Essay from Old and Sold.com
Neither C major nor B major is established as the tonic at the end of the composition.
Recordings
In 1944, Strauss conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in an experimental high fidelity recording of the piece, made on a German Magnetophon tape recorder. This was later released on LP by Vanguard Records and on CD by various labels. Strauss’s friend and colleague, Fritz Reiner, made the first stereophonic recording of the music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in March 1954 for RCA Victor. In 2012, this album was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry list of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” American sound recordings. The recording of the opening fanfare used for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey was performed by Vienna Philharmonic and conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
Elvis Presley used the opening fanfare as the opening piece in his concerts between 1971 and his death in 1977, and as the introduction to several of his live albums, including Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (1972), Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite (1973), and Elvis in Concert (1977). Eumir Deodato’s funk-influenced arrangement of the opening fanfare Sunrise theme reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 U.S. popular music sales charts in 1973, and #7 on the UK Singles Chart. His version was titled “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)”, and won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
External links
Also sprach Zarathustra: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Also sprach Zarathustra on Internet Archive, opening movement (video, 12:45), performed by WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, conducted by Semyon Bychkov
Also sprach Zarathustra on Internet Archive, performed by University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Schubert
“Also Sprach Zarathustra: Decoding Strauss’ Tone Poem” by Marin Alsop on NPR (January 14, 2012)
Licenses and Attributions"
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen TSgt David L. SPC Woody Bullard Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SFC Shirley Whitfield PVT Mark Zehner SPC Margaret Higgins Maj Marty Hogan LTC Greg Henning Maj William W. 'Bill' Price SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT John " Mac " McConnell SPC Douglas Bolton Alan K.. CPL Dave Hoover. Sgt Randy Wilber
"Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra | Music Appreciation
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) s a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour.
“Sunrise” – the opening fanfare
The work has been part of the classical repertoire since its first performance in 1896. The initial fanfare – entitled “Sunrise” in the composer’s program notes – became particularly well-known after its use in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Instrumentation
The orchestra consists of the following:
woodwinds: piccolo, 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, English horn, clarinet in E-flat, 2 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet in B-flat, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon
brass: 6 horns in F and E, 4 trumpets in C and E, 3 trombones, 2 tubas
percussion: timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, bell on low E
keyboard: organ
strings: 2 harps, violins I, II (16 each), violas (12), cellos (12), double basses (8) (with low C string).
Structure
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of the book:
Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang (Introduction, or Sunrise)
Von den Hinterweltlern (Of Those in Backwaters)
Von der großen Sehnsucht (Of the Great Longing)
Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften (Of Joys and Passions)
Das Grablied (The Song of the Grave)
Von der Wissenschaft (Of Science and Learning)
Der Genesende (The Convalescent)
Das Tanzlied (The Dance Song)
Nachtwandlerlied (Song of the Night Wanderer)
The piece starts with a sustained double low C on the double basses, contrabassoon and organ. This transforms into the brass fanfare of the Introduction and introduces the “dawn” motif (from “Zarathustra’s Prologue”, the text of which is included in the printed score) that is common throughout the work: the motif includes three notes, in intervals of a fifth and octave, as C–G–C (known also as the Nature-motif). On its first appearance, the motif is a part of the first five notes of the natural overtone series: octave, octave and fifth, two octaves, two octaves and major third (played as part of a C major chord with the third doubled). The major third is immediately changed to a minor third, which is the first note played in the work (E flat) that is not part of the overtone series.
“Of Those in Backwaters” (or “Of the Forest Dwellers”) begins with cellos, double-basses and organ pedal before changing into a lyrical passage for the entire section. The next two sections, “Of the Great Yearning” and “Of Joys and Passions”, both introduce motifs that are more chromatic in nature.
“Of Science” features an unusual fugue beginning in the double-basses and cellos, which consists of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale. It is one of the very few sections in the orchestral literature where the basses must play a contra-b (lowest b on a piano).
“The Convalescent” acts as a reprise of the original motif, and ends with the entire orchestra climaxing on a massive chord.
“The Dance Song” features a very prominent violin solo throughout the section.
The end of the “Song of the Night Wanderer” leaves the piece half resolved, with high flutes, piccolos and violins playing a B major chord, while the lower strings pluck a C.
One of the major compositional themes of the piece is the contrast between the keys of B major, representing humanity, and C major, representing the universe. Because B and C are adjacent notes, these keys are tonally dissimilar: B major uses five sharps, while C major has none.
World riddle theme
There are two opinions about the World riddle theme. Some sources denote the fifth/octave intervals (C–G–C8va) as the World riddle motif. However, other sources refer to the two conflicting keys in the final section as representing the World riddle (C–G–C B–F♯-B8va), with the unresolved harmonic progression being an unfinished or unsolved riddle: the melody does not conclude with a well-defined tonic note as being either C or B, hence it is unfinished. The ending of the composition has been described:
But the riddle is not solved. The tone-poem ends enigmatically in two keys, the Nature-motif plucked softly, by the basses in its original key of C—and above the woodwinds, in the key of B major. The unsolvable end of the universe: for Strauss was not pacified by Nietzsche’s solution.
—Essay from Old and Sold.com
Neither C major nor B major is established as the tonic at the end of the composition.
Recordings
In 1944, Strauss conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in an experimental high fidelity recording of the piece, made on a German Magnetophon tape recorder. This was later released on LP by Vanguard Records and on CD by various labels. Strauss’s friend and colleague, Fritz Reiner, made the first stereophonic recording of the music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in March 1954 for RCA Victor. In 2012, this album was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry list of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” American sound recordings. The recording of the opening fanfare used for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey was performed by Vienna Philharmonic and conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
Elvis Presley used the opening fanfare as the opening piece in his concerts between 1971 and his death in 1977, and as the introduction to several of his live albums, including Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (1972), Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite (1973), and Elvis in Concert (1977). Eumir Deodato’s funk-influenced arrangement of the opening fanfare Sunrise theme reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 U.S. popular music sales charts in 1973, and #7 on the UK Singles Chart. His version was titled “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)”, and won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
External links
Also sprach Zarathustra: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Also sprach Zarathustra on Internet Archive, opening movement (video, 12:45), performed by WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, conducted by Semyon Bychkov
Also sprach Zarathustra on Internet Archive, performed by University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Schubert
“Also Sprach Zarathustra: Decoding Strauss’ Tone Poem” by Marin Alsop on NPR (January 14, 2012)
Licenses and Attributions"
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen TSgt David L. SPC Woody Bullard Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SFC Shirley Whitfield PVT Mark Zehner SPC Margaret Higgins Maj Marty Hogan LTC Greg Henning Maj William W. 'Bill' Price SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT John " Mac " McConnell SPC Douglas Bolton Alan K.. CPL Dave Hoover. Sgt Randy Wilber
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra | Music Appreciation
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Posted 6 y ago
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Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed during 1896 and inspired by Fr...
Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for reminding us about "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (Thus Spake Zarathustra) by Richard Strauss, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel, which debuted in Frankfurt on November 27, 1896.
My father loved many classical music pieces and he exposed me to the works of Richard Strauss/
Opus 30 has a tune which should be familiar to many :-)
Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
"Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed during 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical treatise of the same name.
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of the Nietzsche's book:
1. "Einleitung" (Introduction): according to the interpretations, it should represent the Creation or the coming of the new age of the Overman and so, because of its evocative and declaimed aspect, it is led back to the Overman's motto.
2. "Von den Hinterweltlern" (Of the Hereaftergo'ers): here the brass quote the gregorian cento "Credo in unum Deum" or "I believe in one God" to represent faith at the top synthesis.
3. "Von der großen Sehnsucht" (Of the Great Longing): maybe it represents the age of "Sturm und Drang"; here there's a liturgical quotation from "Magnificat".
4. "Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften" (Of the Joys and Passions): the word to the strings, at the top tension; the trombones expose the theme of "Taedium Vitae".
5. "Das Grablied" (The Grave-Song): part where the strings prevail.
6. "Von der Wissenschaft" (Of Science): it is a fugue whose subject all only the twelve notes to represent scientism, positivism and maybe, to ridicule the rising dodecaphony.
7. "Der Genesende" (The Convalescent): it completes the tension of the previous movement, then, after a rough pause determined by a rip of the strings in the bass register, it starts again from the mystery to go to the atmosphere of the following movement.
8. "Das Tanzlied" (The Dance Song): the theme of "Taedium Vitae" is taken again trasfigured in a waltz.
9. "Nachtwandlerlied" (Song of the Night Wanderer): coda where the finale is suspended avoiding the cadence on the tonic.
Paintings by J.M.W. Turner and Caspar Friedrich.
Conductor: Georg Solti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFPwm0e_K98&t=1633s
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SSG David Andrews
My father loved many classical music pieces and he exposed me to the works of Richard Strauss/
Opus 30 has a tune which should be familiar to many :-)
Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
"Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed during 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical treatise of the same name.
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of the Nietzsche's book:
1. "Einleitung" (Introduction): according to the interpretations, it should represent the Creation or the coming of the new age of the Overman and so, because of its evocative and declaimed aspect, it is led back to the Overman's motto.
2. "Von den Hinterweltlern" (Of the Hereaftergo'ers): here the brass quote the gregorian cento "Credo in unum Deum" or "I believe in one God" to represent faith at the top synthesis.
3. "Von der großen Sehnsucht" (Of the Great Longing): maybe it represents the age of "Sturm und Drang"; here there's a liturgical quotation from "Magnificat".
4. "Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften" (Of the Joys and Passions): the word to the strings, at the top tension; the trombones expose the theme of "Taedium Vitae".
5. "Das Grablied" (The Grave-Song): part where the strings prevail.
6. "Von der Wissenschaft" (Of Science): it is a fugue whose subject all only the twelve notes to represent scientism, positivism and maybe, to ridicule the rising dodecaphony.
7. "Der Genesende" (The Convalescent): it completes the tension of the previous movement, then, after a rough pause determined by a rip of the strings in the bass register, it starts again from the mystery to go to the atmosphere of the following movement.
8. "Das Tanzlied" (The Dance Song): the theme of "Taedium Vitae" is taken again trasfigured in a waltz.
9. "Nachtwandlerlied" (Song of the Night Wanderer): coda where the finale is suspended avoiding the cadence on the tonic.
Paintings by J.M.W. Turner and Caspar Friedrich.
Conductor: Georg Solti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFPwm0e_K98&t=1633s
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SSG David Andrews
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