Untitled - The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

2010-2011 75th Anniversary Celebration!
than a playboy, a libertine with a simple
goal - to seduce every woman in sight.
Other versions place him in a role mostly
foolish, more like a silly romancer than a
crafty paramour, as in the case of the Don
Juan by by Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850),
the Austrian poet whose work provided
the character model for Strauss.
In fact, the Lenau variation is a tale of
Don Juan’s relentless search for the perfect
woman - one who is at once spiritually and
sensually ideal. But the frenzy of the quest
obscures and eclipses the dream. After a
lifetime of manic pursuit the Don becomes
disillusioned, dispassionate and tired of
the world, its women - and ultimately -
himself. Near the close he welcomes
the challenge of a duel with Don Pedro
who swears to redeem the honor of his
sister, who of course had fallen to the
wiles of our amorous conquistador. In
self-retribution, Don Juan allows himself to
be killed.
Strauss’ music, though youthfully
conceived, reveals a composer already
at home in his métier of grandiloquent
orchestration. The motifs - macho and
brash and tender all at once - are
splendidly cast over harmonies which
convey the quixotic, double pursuit of
soul and sensuality. Without following
a literal course, Strauss tone-paints a
series of episodes in the life of Don Juan
by representing the spirit of the chase in
florid tonalities. Indeed, the work is a
symphonic tour de force, in turns brazen
or tender, replete with noble melodies
and emotive harmonies.
The score also contains some of the
dreamiest moments in music via enamored
solos in the violin and oboe. Stand by as
well for the principal theme heard several
times strutting through the lusty choir
of horns. But just as we might sense a
developing apotheosis, the skies darken
with ominous tones - the knell and toll of
the avenging stroke of Don Pedro. Alas,
the curtain closes on the sad career of
Don Juan.
Vier letzte Lieder - Four Last Songs
Frühling Spring
September September
Beim Schlafengehen Going to Sleep
Im Abendrot At Sunset
First Classics performance: December 1,
1942, with soprano Lotte Lehmann,
conducted by Franco Autori; most recent
performance: September 21, 2002, with
soprano Renee Fleming, conducted by
JoAnn Falletta; duration 25 minutes
German Lieder (art songs) comprised
a genre unto its own until roughly the
beginning of the Romantic era. It was
about that time when the venerable form
began to respond to influences from the less
structured but intimate ballads from England
and the Continent at large. However, as
the Lied became more flexible, the genre
was once again dominated by exquisite
examples from great Viennese and
German masters such as Franz Schubert,
Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf, Gustav
Mahler and, of course, Richard Strauss.
It is often noted that the latter’s true
calling was revealed through his scores
for the human voice. Strauss’ output is
ravishing: among sixteen operas are
Der Rosenkavalier, Salomé, Elektra and
Ariadne auf Naxos and a body of over
200 published songs for a variety of
voices, several of which were orchestrated
by the composer himself. However, almost
all of his songs were scored prior to 1900.
Except for about twelve Lieder written after
World War I, Strauss did not seriously
return to the form until the last months of his
life. The Four Last Songs were completed
just days before the composer’s death. The
poetry Strauss selected for the settings is
often considered as a memoir of his life
and career.
But even as Strauss was an octegenarian
when he conceived the Four Last Songs,
we are charmed by the poignant allure of
the works. Completed in 1949, just days
before the composer’s death, the song
cycle is revered as an exquisite adieu to
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