Strauss' Don Juan
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19m
Flirty, fiery, a little reckless…
Don Juan is an exciting, dramatic piece of music written by Richard Strauss in 1888, when he was just 24 years old. It’s a tone poem (a type of orchestral music that tells a story purely through instruments) based on the story of Don Juan, one of the most famous characters in Western literature.
Don Juan is a fictional Spanish nobleman who’s bold, seductive, and never stays in one place – or with one woman – for too long. Listen out for sweeping melodies illustrating his passion and charm. Don Juan can’t keep up this fast life and he goes too far, killing a man. It varies from version to version, but usually someone of importance, like a commander or another nobleman.
Also listen for moments of longing and sadness, hinting that maybe Don Juan is searching for something deeper… and can’t find it. Then comes the moment of reckoning: a statue of the man Don Juan killed comes to life and gives him a chance to repent. Don Juan refuses in his classic arrogant way and is ultimately dragged to hell. Phew.
PROGRAM
Richard Strauss Don Juan, Op 20
MUSICIANS
Conductor Eivind Aadland
musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart
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