Richard Strauss: Three Tone Poems

"Not to be confused with Johann, Richard Strauss was a leader of the German avant-garde during the late Romantic era of the nineteenth century. Why? Because he dared to diverge from the classical norm to compose music that tells a story and started something aking to a musical civil war in the process.

'Tone Poems' sounded terribly dry, a term cooked up by some fusty music theorist, until we learned that Strauss chose it to stress his use of music (tone) to express a poetic idea (poem). And poetic these three pieces are, lavish tributes to universal heroes and myths, stories that unfold in purely musical terms, complemented on the CD by lush illustrations. Above all, Romantic music celebrates the individual and his heroic quest; one section offers musical comparisons of 'yearning' in Wagner, Strauss, and Mahler. Another favorite compares themes from such Hollywood classics as Robin Hood, Gone with the Wind, and Superman with the Strauss compositions that inspired them. Strauss was a master of orchestral effects as well as a superb storyteller. We appreciated the way Three Tone Poems illuminates both aspects of his enormous talent. As we learned, our imagination was completely engaged.

Three Tone Poems features:

Master Orchestrator: an exploration of the instruments in an orchestra and how they work together to form unique sounds and textures

Inside the Score: an examination of the forms and techniques underlying the Tone Poems

The Tone Poem: information on the genesis of the Tone Poems and the theories and trends from which they developed

Pragmatic Romantic: a look at the composer's life and times

Prankster's Game: a game to challenge your knowledge of Strauss' life and music -- From Voyager