ABSTRACT
Structurally Tod und Verklarung harks back to the Liszt orchestral works that were Strauss’s historical starting-point, especially, perhaps, to the first movement of the Faust Symphony, withits traditional layout of slow introduction-plus-sonata Allegro. There are other Lisztian features, too, such as the rhythmic character of the Allegro’s first theme, invoking, not inappropriately, the main theme of Liszt’s Prometheus. Tod und Verklarung is based on a trashy poem by Strauss’s mentor, Alexander Ritter, a piece of writing much less vivid than the letter of Strauss that suggested it. Don Quixote is at least based on a masterpiece. But if the musical work is to be judged more successful than Tod, as it often is, it is surely not because of the greater stature of the literary source – trivial words have frequently inspired great music – but because Strauss was coming to a more mature understanding of what he could do best.
