Thus says Zarathustra | Wig | Shemet | Symphony Orchestra

Performers: Roman Perucki — organ

Yaroslav Shemet — conductor

Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Program: Richard Strauss — Thus Says Zarathustra

Adam Wesołowski — Symphony Concerting for Organ and Symphony Orchestra (premiere)

Richard Strauss's monumental symphonic poem Tako the River Zarathustra is much more than the famous musical picture of the sunrise made famous by Stanley Kubrick's film. Inspired by the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, the composer created a musical story about freedom, human nature and the constant search for meaning.

Next to one of the most important symphonic poems of the turn of the 20th century, the premiere of the Symphony Concerto for Organ and Symphony Orchestra by Adam Wesołowski will be performed. The soloist of the evening will be Roman Perucki — one of the most outstanding Polish organists, who has performed at Notre Dame in Paris, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and the Moscow Philharmonic, among others.

Strauss composed Tako the Zarathustra River in 1896 under the influence of reading Nietzsche's famous treatise. However, he did not create an illustration of a philosophical text, but his own musical interpretation of his ideas. The title character, Zarathustra, descends from the mountain alone to proclaim new values: the affirmation of life, the freedom of the individual and the rejection of imposed dogmas. Strauss particularly strongly emphasized the conflict between nature and culture, instinct and intellect, freedom and social order.

The famous “sunrise” only plays the role of a short prologue in the work. Then follows a series of contrasting musical images: ironic quotes of religious chants, monumental climaxes of the orchestra, elaborate polyphonic fragments and unusually light and dance episodes appear. Strauss guides the listener through a world of constant tension — between darkness and light, pathos and irony, philosophical reflection and pure musical energy.

Of particular importance is the finale of the poem, in which Strauss leaves the work without an unequivocal solution. Two tonalities — symbolizing nature and the human world — resonate simultaneously, creating one of the most enigmatic endings in the history of symphonic music. It is this ambiguity that makes Zarathustra's Tako a work that is fascinating and constantly open to new interpretations.

The second part of the program will be completed by the premiere of Adam Wesołowski's Concerto Symphony for Organ and Symphony Orchestra, which has already accustomed the audience to conducting beautiful harmonious melodies and monumental show-stopping climaxes. His music full of symbols will create gigantic climaxes this time, because basically two orchestras will meet - the first organ and the second symphony to create a symphony concerting for “two orchestras” showing the versatile possibilities of each of them.

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