Strauss – Schön­berg

At the peak of his prolificacy, Richard Strauss composed his Alpine symphony. This tone poem, which explores the individual stages of a hike, is based on memories from his childhood in Munich's nearby mountains. Using a huge orchestra, Strauss depicts both the forces of nature and the human experience of this nature. The progression from sunrise to sunset is also a metaphor for a human life. In his early work Verklärte Nacht, based on a poem by Richard Dehmel, Arnold Schönberg tells the story of a woman who confesses to her lover that she expects such a human life.

PROGRAMME:
Arnold Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (adaptation for string orchestra)
Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64

Photo © Yves Fukamori