Ainsi parlait Zarathustra

Description

Is the imitation of thunder rolls, the howling of the wind, and the bleating of sheep a form of musical composition worthy of the name? Can we take seriously a musician who boasts of being able to "set to music, if necessary, a restaurant menu"? Such were the kinds of questions Richard Strauss, one of the most virtuosic composers of what is called "program music," must have asked himself. His answer: "I am a musician from head to toe; for me, all 'programs' are merely incentives to invent new forms, nothing more." The NDR orchestra, under the direction of Krzysztof Urbanski, has chosen to dedicate this sixth recording with Alpha Classics to three of Richard Strauss's most famous symphonic poems: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op.30 - Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op.28 & Don Juan, Op.20.