Mischief and Mayhem, Strauss-style

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Till Eulenspiegel is as good as it gets, when it comes to what is sometimes called “program music” – orchestral music that is more descriptive than strictly formal (like a symphony or concerto).

Strauss, master of the tone poem, that great turn-of-the- century invention, deftly depicts character, action, and emotion without the aid of opera’s words-and-visuals. He demands from his conductors as much narrative skill as musical expertise.   Happily, Kurt Mazur is more than up to the task, in this spirited performance with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.  (One critic described Mazur’s interpretation of this piece, with another orchestra, as showing “wit and sheer gusto.”)

Listen carefully – in fact, listen as if you’re watching an animated movie.  It’s hard to miss the first appearance of Till Eulenspiegel: a cheeky horn theme introduces the scamp who bumps around the countryside, disturbing village folk, upsetting their carts and the like. He clearly has no self-esteem issues. Whether you think he is a lovable rogue or the ultimate anti-hero, you’ll see that Strauss lets Till dominate the picture throughout, scarcely faltering even when the cards are down and the character’s luck runs out.

The inevitable fall from grace, when Till’s bad behaviour catches up with him, is heralded by a deathly drum-roll and the sounding of sombre trombones (often the instrument of choice to suggest impending judgement, as in Mozart’s Don Giovanni). Till makes his way to the scaffold, but even then he is still thumbing his nose and saying “What the heck do I care?”