Love fantasies

RICHARD STRAUSS [1864—1949] Don Juan, sound poetry (after Nikolaus Lenau) for large orchestra op. 20 Six songs based on poems by Clemens Brentano op. 68

ROBERT SCHUMANN [1810—1856] Symphony No. 4 in D minor op. 120

Can there be a more beautiful declaration of love? When Robert Schumann heard Schubert's Symphony in C major, he wrote to his fiancée Clara Wieck that he “wished nothing but that you were my wife and I could write such symphonies.” And in fact — as soon as the marriage was consummated, in 1841, the most beautiful symphonies were bubbling from Schumann's pen. The fourth was the most formally original — and, according to Clara, was drawn “from the bottom of my soul.” In Richard Strauss's tone poem Don Juan, on the other hand, there are definitely different facets of love than conjugal. In the underlying verse epic by Nikolaus Lenau, this is clearly stated: “In the wide circle of beautiful women, my love for everyone is different.” And in fact, the even young Strauss of “the youth fire pulses” makes wonderful sounds. Decades later, in his song cycle based on poems by Clemens Brentano, Strauss showed that even the painful sides of love have not remained unknown to him: “Grief dwells in love, and cannot be otherwise,” it says there. By the way, the cycle also allows us to meet again with soprano Adela Zaharia, who began her world career in the opera studio of the Komische Oper Berlin and later as a permanent member of the ensemble.

Once through the cosmos of love — nothing less than that awaits you in this symphony concert conducted by General Music Director James Gaffigan.