The Music Plays On — Richard Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra

Richard Strauss

On this day Richard Strauss was born in 1864 and I thought it’d be fun to share my favorite recordings of his tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus spoke Zarathustra). Zarathustra was the sixth tone poem that he wrote. Finished in 1896, it was also the longest. The first performance took place in Frankfurt on November 27, 1896, and Strauss conducted. The title refers to the philosophical novel of the same name by Friedrich Nietzsche and each movement refers to a specific chapter in the book.

1. “Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang” (Introduction, or Sunrise)
2. “Von den Hinterweltlern” (Of the Backworldsmen)
3. “Von der großen Sehnsucht” (Of the Great Longing)
4. “Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften” (Of Joys and Passions)
5. “Das Grablied” (The Song of the Grave)
6. “Von der Wissenschaft” (Of Science and Learning)
7. “Der Genesende” (The Convalescent)
8. “Das Tanzlied” (The Dance Song)
9. “Nachtwandlerlied” (Song of the Night Wanderer)

The very first recording was made, surprisingly, in the United States in 1935 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Serge Koussevitsky. The sound quality isn’t bad and there are very unique and…