111 musicians gathered on stage for Strauss' huge tone poem.
Thirteen horns, six trombones, two harps and two tubas, and so on: in no other work did Strauss demand a larger orchestration than in his "Alpine Symphony". It is therefore fitting that this tone poem from 1915 is also monumental in terms of its content: a mountain ascent is musically depicted here, with bells ringing and glistening light, at least according to the official version. On a deeper level, however, it is about more than just a depiction of nature: the initially planned title "The Antichrist" reveals that Strauss was composing under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche, as he had previously done with "Thus Spoke Zarathustra".
Paavo Järvi is also aware of this. In his interpretation, the work "never for a moment sounds like the monumental soundtrack to a mountaineering film", wrote the NZZ after the concert in March 2023: "Even the often overloud descent under thunder and lightning has more the effect of a cleansing thunderstorm after which one sees more clearly, in the spirit of Strauss."
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Paavo Järvi Music Director
Richard Strauss "An Alpine Symphony" op. 64
Recording from 22/23 March 2023, Tonhalle Zurich
Here you will find further concert recordings of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
