Strauss – Don Juan (2024 Nate Strothkamp)

Richard Strauss – Don Juan

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was a German composer most well-known for his operas and tone poems. Among some of his most famous works are Also sprach Zarathustra, Der Rosenkavalier, An Alpine Symphony, Ein Heldenleben, Don Quixote, and Don Juan. Strauss composed Don Juan between 1888-89 and based his score on Austrian poet Nikolaus Lenau’s retelling of Don Juan, a famous character from Spanish folk legend. Although there are many variations of the story, Don Juan is universally presented as an unrestrained, amoral, and mischievous character devoted to seducing women. He is canonized through multiple mediums including fiction, poetry, opera, orchestral music, film, and theater.

The composition opens with a resounding burst of energy and propels upwards into a declamatory flourish, embodying the energy and vigor of Don Juan’s youth, which fueled his journeys and desires. Later, the French horns bellow a depiction of Don Juan’s heroic and proud demeanor, characterized by an ascending octave jump. Cheeky grace notes and fleeting motifs, which are interspersed throughout the composition, portray Don Juan’s affinity for disguise and deceit. These spirited melodies are contrasted with multiple tender and passionate love themes heard in the string sections and solo winds. As with the earlier melodies, these themes always begin with an upward-reaching interval, although in these scenes it depicts yearning and warm intimacy. More generally, Strauss’ use of ascending intervals may signify hope. Yet, a third force lingers underneath the surface, manifesting through eerie recollections of earlier themes and alarming dissonant chords. Fate and death lurk in the shadows, slowly poisoning the bright E major key signature into E minor. The hands of fate ultimately steal the last word as Don Juan’s story is sealed shut with a final shuddering breath.

Composed at just 25 years old, Don Juan was an emphatic success for Strauss and remains among the most popular works for orchestras around the globe. Excerpts from Don Juan are almost universally required for orchestral auditions, a testament to the immensely challenging yet rewarding effect of this masterpiece.

Nate Strothkamp ’26

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