'Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration)' - Richard Strauss

Cleveland Orchestra - George Szell (Recorded March, 1957).

[deniseoftedahl]

As a bass player, this is one of my favorite pieces I've had the privilage to play. Everytime I'm weeping by the end. Fabulous work of art.

[jamescecil]

Strauss was a rock star with large, large thoughts.

[ultrametric]

By far the best performance of this work I know of, by an enormous margin. Amazing to this day.

[danieloconnell]

I pulled over on the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia in 1991 to finish listening to this, too overwhelmed to drive.

[hwh]

The conductor and orchestra and the music: a perfect trio.Listen to this with the score to see just how masterful this performance is.

[JonathanPongratz]

Discovered this masterpiece back in community college in Music Appreciation class. Inspired me to start writing again.

[bigcedock]

Wonderful performance, and a good deal of Szell huffing and puffing as a bonus. Thanks a lot for this historical document, as it would seem to be in our year 2020!

[classicalcaddieandfinefidd]

Played this in my HS orchestra, will never forget it. This is such a powerful piece, would definitely play it again. Love this song!!!

[nbt]

I believe he told his daughter on his death bed that he had gotten it right.

This is one of the most powerful suites ever.

[montanamontana]

There are four movements (with Ritter's poetic thoughts condensed):
00:01 - I. Largo (The sick man, near death)
05:25 - II. Allegro molto agitato (The battle between life and death offers no respite to the man)
08:40 - III. Meno mosso (The dying man's life passes before him)
15:55 - IV. Moderato (The sought-after transfiguration) 23:52

Program:
1st stanza
I. Largo
a: The sick body painfully halitates - bar 1 - 00:01
b: Awakenings of consciousness (the flutes) - bar 7 - 00:42
c: The body belongs to a man - bar 17 - 01:42
d: Childhood memories - (Solo Oboe) bar 30 - 02:54
e: Childhood memory - (Solo Violin) bar 37 - 03:28

2nd stanza
II. Allegro molto agitato
a: First death attack - bar 66 - 05:25
b: Death Attack (The Aspiration for Life) - bar 97 - 06:15
c: Fight against death - death theme (Chromatic descending) bar 100 - 06:21
d: Transformation between joy and triumph - bar 125 - 06:55 - Les Timbale 07:24
e: Entrance of the transfiguration - bar 161 - 07:44
f: Lesson of Immortal Thought (The Ideal) bar 167 - 07:54

3rd Stanza
III. Meno mosso
a: Romance - Reappearance of Childhood Memories (Solo Flute) - bar 186 - 08:40
b: He is dancing (waltz) - bar 206 - 09:21
c: The teenager: Theme I- new adventure - woodwind and brass - bar 233 - 10:19
d: The teenager: Theme II - the teenager - strings - bar 234 - 10:20
e: The man in love - (ascending chromatic) - Appasionato - Full of life - bar 256 - 10:54
f: Lesson of Immortal Thought (The Ideal) bar 319 - 12:28
g: Reexposure - The sick body - A series of palpitation of the sick body - bar 365 - 14:25
h: Fight against death - Measure 377 - 15:29

4th stanza
IV. Moderato
a: Death of the man - the dull glare of the Tam-Tam - bar 395 - 15:55
b: La Gloire - (the theme of L’ideal) in C major - bar 429 - 18:07
c: (Final Climax) Soul freed from its earthly shackles, floats in a sort of Halo Sound - bar 469 - 21:00
d: Reminiscences of various motifs together (Ideal and Childhood memories)
e: Conclusion: (the theme of L’ideal) accesses Eternity in a serene and luminous C major tonality - bar 480 - 21:50
f: His Soul rises in a Celestial world - bar 491 - 22:58

I. (Largo) In a dark, shabby room, a man lies dying. The silence is disturbed only by the ticking of a clock - or is it the beating of the man's heart? A melancholy smile appears on the invalid's face. Is he dreaming of his happy childhood? 00:01

II. (Allegro molto agitato) A furious struggle between life and death, at whose climax we hear, briefly, the theme of Transfiguration that will dominate the final portion of the work. The struggle is unresolved, and silence returns. 05:25

III. (Meno mosso ma semper alla breve) He sees his life again, the happy times, the ideals striven for as a young man. But the hammer-blow of death rings out. His eyes are covered with eternal night. 08:40

IV. (Moderato) The heavens open to show him what the world denied him, Redemption, Transfiguration - the Transfiguration theme first played pianissimo by the full orchestra, its flowering enriched by the celestial arpeggios of two harps. The theme climbs ever higher, dazzlingly, into the empyrean. 15:55.

[leestamm]

A beautiful performance. The interpretation is strikingly similar to Strauss's 1944 Vienna recording. Not surprising, since Szell knew Strauss and acknowledged his influence.

[montanamontana]

There are four movements (with Ritter's poetic thoughts condensed):
00:01 - I. Largo (The sick man, near death)
05:25 - II. Allegro molto agitato (The battle between life and death offers no respite to the man)
08:40 - III. Meno mosso (The dying man's life passes before him)
15:55 - IV. Moderato (The sought-after transfiguration) 23:52

Programme:
1er Strophe
I. Largo
a: Le corp malade halite peniblement – mesure 1 - 00:01
b: Les eveils de conscience (les flutes) – mesure 7 - 00:42
c: Le corp appartient a un homme – mesure 17 – 01:42
d: Souvenir d’enfance – (Solo Oboe) mesure 30 - 02:54
e: Souvenir d’enfance – (Solo Violon) mesure 37 - 03:28

2e Strophe
II. Allegro molto agitato
a: Premier attaque de la mort – mesure 66 - 05:25
b: Attaque de la mort (L’Aspiration a la vie) – mesure 97 - 06:15
c: Lutte contre la mort – death theme (Chromatique descendant) mesure 100 - 06:21
d: Transformation entre la joie et le moment triomphant – mesure 125 - 06:55 – Les Timbale 07:24
e: L’entrée de la transfiguration - mesure 161 – 07:44
f: Lecon de la pensee immortelle (L’ideal) mesure 167 – 07:54

3e Strophe
III. Meno mosso
a: Romance – Reaparition des souvenirs d’enfance (Solo Flute) – mesure 186 - 08:40
b: Il danse (valse) – mesure 206 – 09:21
c: L’adolescent: Theme I- nouvelle aventure - bois et cuivres - mesure 233 - 10:19
d: L’adolescent: Theme II- l’adolescent – cordes - mesure 234 - 10:20
e: L’homme amoureux – (chromatique ascendant) – Appasionato - Plein de vie - mesure 256 - 10:54
f: Lecon de la pensee immortelle (L’ideal) mesure 319 – 12:28
g: Reexposition – Le corp malade - Une serie de palpitation du corp malade - mesure 365 - 14:25
h: Lutte contre la mort – Mesure 377 - 15:29

4e Strophe
IV. Moderato
a: Mort de l’homme – l’eclat sourd du Tam-Tam - mesure 395 - 15:55
b: La Gloire - (le theme de L’ideal) en do majeur – mesure 429 - 18:07
c: (Final Climax) L’Ame liberee de ses entraves terrestres, flotte dans une sorte de Halo Sonore – mesure 469 - 21:00
d: Reminiscences de divers motifs ensembles (Ideal et Souvenir d’enfance)
e: Conclustion: (le theme de L’ideal) accede a l’Eternite dans une sereine et lumineuse tonalite Do majeur - mesure 480 – 21:50
f: Son Ame monte dans un monde Celeste – mesure 491 - 22:58

I. (Largo) In a dark, shabby room, a man lies dying. The silence is disturbed only by the ticking of a clock - or is it the beating of the man's heart? A melancholy smile appears on the invalid's face. Is he dreaming of his happy childhood? 00:01

II. (Allegro molto agitato) A furious struggle between life and death, at whose climax we hear, briefly, the theme of Transfiguration that will dominate the final portion of the work. The struggle is unresolved, and silence returns. 05:25

III. (Meno mosso ma sempre alla breve) He sees his life again, the happy times, the ideals striven for as a young man. But the hammer-blow of death rings out. His eyes are covered with eternal night. 08:40

IV. (Moderato) The heavens open to show him what the world denied him, Redemption, Transfiguration - the Transfiguration theme first played pianissimo by the full orchestra, its flowering enriched by the celestial arpeggios of two harps. The theme climbs ever higher, dazzlingly, into the empyrean. 15:55.

[wichitazen]

Easily the best version ever recorded. Szell and the Cleveland rarely show up on dvds, which is a shame. The violins in unison at 10:50 are incredible...hair raising. The trombones also have the rhymic after 'punches' on the mark. Just a wonderful recording.

[lindaferland]

Loved this piece the first time I ever heard it!

[michaelplatek]

if this piece was the last thing on earth i ever heard before i died...i would die a supremely contented. man...

[markmanning]

You do not want to let this music go into the twilight and the stars.

[nbt]

I could not help but hear traces of this piece in Hans Zimmer's "Stay."

[AlienAndHisCat]

When we are young, we don't pay much attention to death.

[matthewnichols]

Add this to my list of go-tos, for sure!

[bionicleman]

Chester Roberts was such an amazing tubist... as evidenced by this recording.