Sir Andrew Davis, conductor
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

 

 

Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Intermezzo - Four Symphonic Interludes

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The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, under their Chief Conductor Sir Andrew Davis, presents the second volume in their live series of Richard Strauss' orchestral works.

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The inspiration for Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life) - completed at the turn of the twentieth century - was one of the most groundbreaking works ever written: Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. Largely agreed to be autobiographical - despite Strauss' protestations to the contrary - it depicts various aspects of what Strauss called an 'ideal of great and manly heroism'. Musically, it was the most ambitious work Strauss had written to date, and features a large orchestra and virtuosic violin solo, played here by the MSO's concertmaster Dale Barltrop.

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On this album, Ein Heldenleben is prefaced by the Four Symphonic Interludes from Intermezzo, Strauss' opera based around incidents in the life of himself and his wife.