"Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks" by Richard Strauss (Audio + Sheet Music)

Watch Richard Strauss himself conduct the piece here: • Richard Strauss Till V...
pf: New York Philharmonic Orchestra cond/ Leonard Bernstein
Year/Date of Composition: 1894-95 (dated May 6, 1895)
First Performance: 1895-11-05 in Cologne, Gürzenich Konzert
Städtische Orchester, Franz Wüllner (conductor)
There was an actual Till Eulenspiegel, born early in the fourteenth century near Braunschweig and gone to his reward-in bed, not on the gallows as in Strauss’s tone poem-in 1350 at Mölln in Schleswig-Holstein. Stories about him have been in print since the beginning of the sixteenth century, the first English version coming out around 1560 under the title Here beginneth a merye Jest of a man that was called Howleglas (Eule in German means “owl” and Spiegel means “mirror” or “looking-glass”). The consistent and serious theme behind his jokes and pranks, often in themselves distinctly coarse and even brutal, is that of an individual getting back at society, specifically, the shrewd peasant more than holding his own against a stuffy bourgeoisie and a repressive clergy. The most famous version of Till Eulenspiegel was published in 1866 by the Belgian novelist Charles de Coster.
Richard Strauss knew de Coster’s book, and it seems also that in 1899 in Würzburg he saw an opera called Eulenspiegel by Cyrill Kistler, a Bavarian composer whose earlier opera Kunihild had a certain currency in the 1880s and early 1890s, and for which he was proclaimed Wagner’s heir. Strauss’s first idea was to compose an Eulenspiegel opera. He sketched a scenario and later commissioned another, but somehow the project never got into gear. “I have already put together a very pretty scenario,” he wrote in a letter, “but the figure of Master Till does not quite appear before my eyes.”
But if Strauss could not see Master Till, he could hear him, and before 1894 was out, he had begun the tone poem that he finished the following May. As always, he could not make up his mind whether he was engaged in tone painting or “just music.” To Franz Wüllner, who conducted the first performance, he wrote: “I really cannot provide a program for Eulenspiegel. Any words into which I might put the thoughts that the several incidents suggested to me would hardly suffice; they might even offend. Let me leave it, therefore, to my listeners to crack the hard nut the Rogue has offered them. By way of helping them to a better understanding, it seems enough to point out the two Eulenspiegel motifs [Strauss jots down the opening of the work and the virtuosic horn theme], which, in the most diverse disguises, moods, and situations, pervade the whole up to the catastrophe when, after being condemned to death, Till is strung up on the gibbet. For the rest, let them guess at the musical joke a Rogue has offered them.”
On the other hand, for Wilhelm Mauke, the most diligent of early Strauss exegetes, the composer was willing to offer a more detailed scenario-Till among the market-women, Till disguised as a priest, Till paying court to pretty girls, and so forth-the sort of thing guaranteed to have the audience anxiously reading the program book instead of listening to the music, probably confusing priesthood and courtship anyway, wondering which theme represents “Till confounding the Philistine pedagogues,” and missing most of Strauss’s dazzling invention in the process. It is probably useful to identify the two Till themes, the very first violin melody and what the horn plays about fifteen seconds later, and to say that the opening music is intended as a “once-upon-a-time” prologue that returns after the graphic trial and hanging as a charmingly formal epilogue with a rowdily humorous “kicker.” (Incidentally, if you’ve ever been shown in a music appreciation class how to “tell” rondo form, forget it now.) For the rest, Strauss’s compositional ingenuity and orchestral bravura plus your attention and fantasy will see to the telling of the tale.
Sources:
www.sfsymphony....
imslp.org/wiki/....

[@Eva11092]

Тиль - 2 темы F-dur 0:29, 1:06 На рынке 2:55 Шутовская проповедь 3:50 Тиль и красотка 5:33 Спор с философами-схоластами 6:51 Полька 8:24 Реприза и триумф Тиля 10:27 Казнь Тиля 11:50

[@josesaavedra4443]

Those Horn parts are brutal!

[@KP-nm1ko]

Yes, but it’s so fun to play! One of my favorites!

[@Tonika26]

Пролог 0:04 Экспозиция, появление героя 0:23 Рефрен 1 тема Тиля 0:29 2 л/т Тиля 1:06 Проделки Тиля 1 эп. рондо Переполох на базаре 2:55 2 эп. Шутовская проповедь, характер менуэта 3:50 Разработка 3 эп. Ухаживания Тиля, серенада в ритме медленного вальса 5:33 4 эп. Спор со схоластами 6:51 7:20 7:49 Реприза 10:27 пассажи духовных, месиво Кода, 5 эп. 11:44 Казнь Эпилог 13:37

[@keithfoester7326]

5:07 when you're given only a few moments but you wanna show off all you got.

[@МаринаТрайгель-м4с]

this is honestly so memeful. i love how at 11:50 it sounds like "oh boi you're screwed", and at the repetition of the main theme at 13:45 it's like Till saying "i lived, bitch!" 😂 great classics

[@jojowastaken]

13:45 to me sounds more like he is dead and the music is about the memory of his past being

[@octo5042]

@@jojowastaken same. it sounds more like a distant, swirling memory, slowly fading. gone but not forgotten

[@JohanHerrenberg]

It remains an astonishing piece. I am sure this is one of the inspirations behind Stravinsky's Petrushka, too.

[@johns.8220]

One of my all time favorite pieces of classical music. Simply brilliant

[@loicrenier7619]

Extraordinaire expressivité de l'orchestre straussien!

[@davidgoodman6538]

The horn soloist was James Chambers, who played a Conn 8D.

[@KP-nm1ko]

There are still a few of those old horns still around. I’m lucky enough to have one.

[@Aaron-dj2vi]

no matter how hard I try I can never feel the first beat in the opening horn solo the way Strauss wrote it

[@KP-nm1ko]

Written as a mischievous joke….a 7/8 melody in 6/8 time. It gets back on the beat by the 4th measure of the solo

[@MaartenBauer]

5:38 This almost sounds like some Gershwin to me!

[@alantruong3343]

If the harmonies had been a bit more bluesy, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference! Good catch!

[@bobareebop]

Very much so.

[@fruityspirit5943]

For some reason it sounds like Mahler to me and especially from that frere jacques theme in a symphony by him

[@kirvonavi]

0:04 Вступление 0:23 1 лм Тиля 1:06 2 лм Тиля 2:55 1 эпизод Тиль на ярмарке бьет посуду 3:50 2 эпизод Тиль проповедник 4:37 лм смерти 5:33 3 эпизод влюбленный Тиль 6:00 6:51 4 эпизод спор с учеными 7:50 8:25 8:50 9:33 1 лм 10:27 11:40 (героический марш) 11:44 сцена суда 12:50 тема смерти из проповеди 13:37 эпилог

[@martinmellacarames464]

14:14 That's all folks!

[@tdgvl]

09:00 a beautiful little melody to be reprised in Arabella :)

[@markdisanzo3796]

I thought "An American in Paris" was gonna break out in spots.

[@montanamontana80]

- Prologue in F Major - Once upon a time There was a naughty jester-Measure 1 - 00:04 ‎ - Main Themes in F M named Till the Mischievous. - I do what I like-Horn solo Measure 6 - 00:22 It was a mischievous leprechaun-Nasty gnome-Suggesting till's laughter - Clarinet Measure 46 - 01:06 - 01:13 gone to new faces. Action 71 - 01:37 Wait a minute, scared ! - Sneaky-Measure 105 - 02:16 ‎ - 1st verse in Re m Hop ! riding through the display of fish merchants. - Market woman- Measure 135 - 02:58 He runs with seven-league boots. - Measure 151- 03:15 Hidden in a mouse hole. - Measure 159 - 03:26 ‎ - 2nd verse in Bb M Disguised as a pastor, he feels anointing and morals - - Measure 179 - 03:49 However, the scoundrel reveals himself by his big toe. - Scoundrel-Measure 191 - 04:23 - Solo Violin 04:35 But as he laughs at religion, he suddenly feels a panic fear of death. - Shudder-Measure 196 - 04:41 ‎ - 3rd verse G M/ G m Till chivalrous and exchanging graces with charming young girls. - Cavallier-Measure 209 - 05:13 Lover. - Measure 222 - 05:29 He's courting them. - Measure 229 - 05:36 An elegant refusal is also a refusal. - Measure 244 - 05:55 Swear revenge against the human race - Measure 263 - 06:17 ‎ - Reprise in F M-Measure 287 - 06:39 ‎ - 4th verse in the m Theme of the Philistines. - Measure 293 - 06:49 After demonstrating to the Philistines some rather monstrous theses, he abandons them, amazed, to their fate. - He's leaving. - Measure 313 - 07:14 Distant grimace. - Measure 344 - 07:49 - 08:00 Jazzy Trumpets ‎ - 5th verse in Lab M Song by Till. - Street song-Measure 375 - 08:23 He dances-Measure 410 - 09:00 The search for Till has taken a new turn, not like in the beginning-Measure 429 - 09:30 Disaster. - Measure 472 - 10:14 Till's Victory-Measure 425 - 10:27 Dancing like crazy - Measure 501 - 10:41 ‎ - Reprise Main Theme in F Major Court. Judgment. - Measure 577 - 11:47 He whistles nonchalantly. - On the scaffold. Till strives to stand up - Measure 582 - 12:02 Sentence-He hangs 12:48, the air missed him - Measure 610 - 12:56 Death - Measure 613 - 13:04 Hanging - Death Cry - Measure 615 - 13:08 One last spasm-the Snapping of his neck - Measures 624 - 13:20 - Epilogue in F. Measure 632 - 13:37 Last evocation, moved, of the memory of the hero - Measure 644 -14:27 ‎ Till lived. Till can never be destroyed, and the work ends with a last quote from the musical blaque. Measure 650 - 14:49

[@jaxsonkian2336]

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[@dariancairo1821]

@Jaxson Kian instablaster ;)

[@jaxsonkian2336]

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[@jaxsonkian2336]

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[@dariancairo1821]

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[@bryanstarkweather]

4:01, clarinet squeal. I've had numerous major orchestral clarinet players tell me that they do indeed occasionally squeal, but I don't think I've ever heard it in a Bernstein recording!

[@profoundresolve]

such a great piece. thanks for posting.

[@kimweonill]

Thank you very much!

[@jpmorel1933]

With the score it is very great, I had never read and listened together, very good idea, dig it...;)

[@tanyakirilina9128]

Тиль - 2 темы F-dur 0:29, 1:06 На рынке (торговки и Тиль верхом, трещотка) 2:55 Шутовская проповедь B-dur (как ПП, в конце - аккорды страха) 3:50 Тиль и красотка (Ухаживание) g-moll-Dur 5:33 Спор с философами-схоластами 6:51 Полька As-dur 8:24 Реприза и триумф Тиля (+скерцо) F-dur (в конце чуть-чуть ПП) Казнь Тиля 11:50

[@meborach]

Thank you for score!

[@dasteufelhund]

There were places that were dangerously close to falling apart...I'm a little surprised...

[@SPrescott2611]

You got any time stamps? Genuinely interested as a "somewhat-conductor". Im not familiar with the piece really

[@leestamm3187]

@@SPrescott2611 This, surprisingly, is a rather ragged performance overall. Suggest you check out recordings by Furtwangler or Kempe for pointers on how the piece should be done.

[@SPrescott2611]

@@leestamm3187 cool, appreciate the response. I'll get onto listening some more!

[@leestamm3187]

@@SPrescott2611 Happy to assist. Good luck with your conducting.

[@pprudencio1966]

@@SPrescott2611 if you want time stamps, the most egregious sections are around 2:55 and around 10:45, in the latter section, the flute is really struggling to keep time. Flutes also struggle a bit in their bit at around 2:05

[@musik350]

1:40 Siegfried

[@hyesukim8261]

1:47 flute solo

[@GeraldNorman-vq9je]

Those horns have a great bite !!!!

[@fanny0803]

wow

[@pocoloco1200]

TMEA 2024 Violin Excerpt #1: 5:23 Violin Excerpt #2: 9:54

[@tommyfeng8744]

so fast

[@hollowcliche9500]

I used to hate this piece (and all tone poems tbh lol) but I actually like it a lot now.

[@brownie3454]

*all* tone poems? what are you crazy?! there's so much greatness that has come from composers creating tone poems

[@fredericchopin6445]

@@brownie3454 come on man he said 'used to', so you gotta change the 'are' to 'were'

[@roshwienmizuri3602]

I'm just here bc my music teacher told me to listen to that. Oh man.

[@alexandermaslov4667]

perfect!

[@Lena.Kryukova]

0:04 Вступление 0:23 1 эп и 1т Тиля (у валторны) 1:06 2т Тиля (маленький кларнет) 2:55 2 эп На рынке (трещотка) 3:50 3 эп Шутовская проповедь 5:33 4 эп Тиль и красотка (5:58 мажор) 6:51 5 эп

[@MagoLerio]

Il trattamento degli archi è simile all'ultimo Beethoven :-)

[@minhokang9128]

13:05

[@chenshuheyue]

01:06 second motive 2:55 market 3:50 priest 5:33 woo a lady 6:51 mock elders 10:27 unstoppable 11:44 sentenced to death

[@doveellis]

1:06

[@dasteufelhund]

0:44, 0:54 (4th horn), 1:02, 1:38 (5), 2:06..the oboe has a tendency throughout the piece get out of the block slow that created a strange tempo tug, the notes are relatively on the beat but the phrasing sounded inconsistent.

[@ryancrites2564]

10:25 11:20

[@winkysquid3]

1:13 if you came from TwoSetViolin

[@kristianskarklins5005]

WinkySquid two set are sending ppl here? Damn

[@winkysquid3]

@@kristianskarklins5005 I guess

[@misionero3000]

Es mejor Solti con Chicago

[@Apfelstrudl]

Unfortunately the orchestra is rough and not in time.. But thx for the score!

[@ObamaoZedong]

eragon812 I'd like to see you try to play it.

[@henry497]

eragon812 lol get roasted kid

[@zacharymckinnon6832]

The woodwinds were kinda iffy at the beginning tbh

[@pprudencio1966]

@@zacharymckinnon6832 I see what you mean. That woodwind chord at 1:01 was rough

[@musickingsoon]

5:01~5:15

[@АннаГордеева-и9т]

01:20

[@Semmlmoo]

8o86OeAo

[@doveellis]

13:09

[@cynthia2300]

2:46

[@ethanlammayot2458]

5:23

[@f.p.2010]

8:22

[@ethanlammayot2458]

9:53