Strauss' transliteration of Nietzsche

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Today we are presenting an analysis of a passage from Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra. In this brief movement, Strauss makes extensive use of his large harmonic palette including augmented sixths, linear chords, distant modulations, and mediant transformations.
/ @-momentsmusicaux-
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, TrV 176: II. Von den Hinterweltlern
Recording: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
DISCLAIMER: Also sprach Zarathustra was written in 1883 and not 1833 as it displays at the end of the video. Apologies!

[@luizcadu]

"In which key are you in?"
Strauss: "Yes!"

[@Dylonely42]

Haha, but in this way, they actually manage to compose some of the most touching music ever (Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Mahler as well :)

[@biko45]

Strauss' chromaticism is so beautiful that it takes me to somewhere heaven-like place. Thank you for your great analysis, as always.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Many thanks for your feedback!

[@kennethschechter352]

this section in particular is my fav of this work. love your videos!

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Glad you like them! Thanks for the feedback.

[@jeremysolomon2686]

I'm so happy you did an analysis on this! This is my all-time favourite moment in the classical repertoire. Great work as always!

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

We are so grateful you wrote this back to us! Thank you!

[@adlfm]

I wish I'd had access to analysis videos like this when I was teaching myself harmony

[@andreswainselboim9217]

Great video as always... This piece reminded me of Metamorphosen, also by Strauss, and like this one a very interesting piece to analyze harmonically. Constantly fluctuating tonality and a whole assortment of modulation tricks.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Thanks Andrew ;)

[@ChristopherCiampoliMusic]

at 1:22 the Aflat turns the chord into a Ger. 6+ in C minor.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Well spotted!

[@emilerose1714]

Great stuff ! Juste a little correction the book was written in 1883 not 1833. Cheers !

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Oh dear! Of course! That was a typing error, I’ll put it on the description. Thank you!

[@nikosgeorgakopoulos9580]

🙏

[@Sasty]

amazing

[@mynameisjack0618]

I think the Credo is a quote from Bach’s Mass in B minor.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

That's right, and same pitches too! Strauss liked to make quotations.

[@oskarmarszaek9580]

Hello, love this video, it brought me to tears
Which recording is this, specifically? I see a TH-cam recording of a live performance dated 2020 and an album released 2023 (R. Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra & Metamorphosen) from Concertgebouw / Jansons
Or did you perform any additional processing on the audio from one of these two? I ask because here when the strings enter they sound "fuller" (almost like they are playing tutti), whereas in the other recordings I listed + those from other recordings it doesn't have the same effect (and as a result, I keep returning here ;) )

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

It's in the Video Description.

[@oskarmarszaek9580]

@@Quotenwagnerianer Right, Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, - Recording: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons. And there is a live version of this orchestra/director performing this on TH-cam from 2020 as well as a recording from 2023 and both sound different to this snippet

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Hi! The audio we use is from the live performance, recorded on 10 May 2012 in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

[@scarf550]

have you considered doing Scriabin?

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Of course! We will share a beautiful miniature from the Op. 45 soon.

[@scarf550]

@@-MomentsMusicaux- that’s great! Love your videos!

[@biko45]

@@-MomentsMusicaux-Scriabin 😮 I’m really looking forward to it!!

[@DjGr0gg]

Butter

[@Dylonely42]

God is dead.

[@dash_user]

He will remain dead.