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Death and Transfiguration
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<h2 id="performance-history">Performance history</h2> <p>Strauss conducted the premiere on 21 June 1890 at the <a href="/facts/Eisenach/6U9LJU3B">Eisenach</a> Festival (on the same programme as the premiere of his <i><a href="/facts/Burleske/DwTYz5T2">Burleske in D minor</a></i> for piano and orchestra). He also conducted this work for his first appearance in the United Kingdom, at the Wagner Concert with the Philharmonic Society on 15 June 1897 at the <a href="/facts/Queen%27s_Hall/feWFa2e3">Queen's Hall</a> in London. </p> <h2 id="critical-reaction">Critical reaction</h2> <p>English music critic <a href="/facts/Ernest_Newman/DQhRgkQA">Ernest Newman</a> described this as music to which one would not want to die or awaken. "It is too spectacular, too brilliantly lit, too full of pageantry of a crowd; whereas this is a journey one must make very quietly, and alone."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>: 399 </p><p>French critic <a href="/facts/Romain_Rolland/lv7a7W2f">Romain Rolland</a> in his <i>Musiciens d'aujourd'hui</i> (1908) called the piece "one of the most moving works of Strauss, and that which is constructed with the noblest utility".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>There are four parts (with Ritter's poetic thoughts condensed): </p> <ol><li>Largo (The sick man, near death)</li><li>Allegro molto agitato (The battle between life and death offers no respite to the man)</li><li>Meno mosso (The dying man's life passes before him)</li><li>Moderato (The sought-after transfiguration)</li></ol> <p>A typical performance lasts about 25 minutes. </p> Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can download the audio file. <h2 id="instrumentation">Instrumentation</h2> <table><tbody><tr><td><a href="/facts/Woodwind/JBMxaxyM">Woodwinds</a>3 <a href="/facts/Western_concert_flute/NQDcgCQJ">flutes</a>2 <a href="/facts/Oboe/Grnq9JAx">oboes</a>1 <a href="/facts/English_horn/UTFl9HdX">English horn</a>2 <a href="/facts/Clarinet/57a45Ia7">clarinets</a> in B♭1 <a href="/facts/Bass_clarinet/nKveIQy8">bass clarinet</a>2 <a href="/facts/Bassoon/kn1HeqoW">bassoons</a>1 <a href="/facts/Contrabassoon/J1mNclbm">contrabassoon</a><a href="/facts/Brass_instrument/UP94qM52">Brass</a>4 <a href="/facts/French_horn/lo63xBF3">horns</a> in F3 <a href="/facts/Trumpet/QzvHkd6V">trumpets</a> in F and C3 <a href="/facts/Trombone/yI8vuH6n">trombones</a>1 <a href="/facts/Tuba/H7FeNp23">tuba</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Percussion/YojwA7VR">Percussion</a><a href="/facts/Timpani/RMflATzA">timpani</a><a href="/facts/Tam-tam/js5Y2dE0">tam-tam</a><a href="/facts/String_instrument/srW2H8dV">Strings</a><a href="/facts/Violin/0m2eLF3B">violins</a> I, II<a href="/facts/Viola/l869ofuf">violas</a><a href="/facts/Cello/IeYEXr96">celli</a><a href="/facts/Double_bass/zyyj4aay">double basses</a>2 <a href="/facts/Harp/FhRqeCDf">harps</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="quoted">Quoted</h2> <p>In one of his last compositions, "Im Abendrot" from the <i><a href="/facts/Four_Last_Songs/a7JWBYoU">Four Last Songs</a></i>, Strauss poignantly quotes the "transfiguration theme" from his tone poem of 60 years earlier, during and after the soprano's final line, "Ist dies etwa der Tod?" (Is this perhaps death?). </p> Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can download the audio file. <p>Just before his own death, he remarked that his music was absolutely correct, his feelings mirroring those of the artist depicted within; Strauss said to his daughter-in-law as he lay on his deathbed in 1949: "It's a funny thing, Alice, dying is just the way I composed it in <i>Tod und Verklärung</i>."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="discography">Discography</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Conductor</th><th>Orchestra</th><th>Recorded</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Richard_Strauss/NjuRNBGm">Richard Strauss</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Staatskapelle_Berlin/RoGgA4as">Staatskapelle Berlin</a></td><td>1926</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Albert_Coates_(musician)/wXx3hlmA">Albert Coates</a></td><td><a href="/facts/London_Symphony_Orchestra/dmm6F0u9">London Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1928</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Leopold_Stokowski/GY6yxcPj">Leopold Stokowski</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Philadelphia_Orchestra/dWaYSxXU">Philadelphia Orchestra</a></td><td>1934</td></tr><tr><td>Richard Strauss</td><td><a href="/facts/Munich_Radio_Orchestra/XzK0vq7n">Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1937</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Victor_de_Sabata/tYbVF3IR">Victor de Sabata</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Berlin_Philharmonic/An20C3u3">Berlin Philharmonic</a></td><td>1939</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Leopold_Stokowski/GY6yxcPj">Leopold Stokowski</a></td><td>All-American Youth Orchestra</td><td>1941</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Willem_Mengelberg/pDD8KzlQ">Willem Mengelberg</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Concertgebouw_Orchestra/DgUmdoeM">Concertgebouw Orchestra</a></td><td>1942</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Arturo_Toscanini/KslFax9C">Arturo Toscanini</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Philadelphia_Orchestra/dWaYSxXU">Philadelphia Orchestra</a></td><td>1942</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Leopold_Stokowski/GY6yxcPj">Leopold Stokowski</a></td><td>New York City Symphony Orchestra</td><td>1944</td></tr><tr><td>Richard Strauss</td><td><a href="/facts/Vienna_Philharmonic/fdI6V8xx">Vienna Philharmonic</a></td><td>1944</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Eugene_Ormandy/gqhP4q4r">Eugene Ormandy</a></td><td>Philadelphia Orchestra</td><td>1945</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Fritz_Reiner/FSHB3vyb">Fritz Reiner</a></td><td><a href="/facts/RCA_Victor_Symphony_Orchestra/9QAW1pfj">RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1950</td></tr><tr><td>Arturo Toscanini</td><td><a href="/facts/NBC_Symphony_Orchestra/UME3KsqH">NBC Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1952</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Wilhelm_Furtw%C3%A4ngler/fS3fymha">Wilhelm Furtwängler</a></td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>1953</td></tr><tr><td>Victor de Sabata</td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>1953</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Herbert_von_Karajan/pWeFwNfW">Herbert von Karajan</a></td><td>Philharmonia Orchestra</td><td>2/3 June 1953</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Jascha_Horenstein/n80xyG8e">Jascha Horenstein</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Bamberg_Symphony/cjWnXppA">Bamberg Symphony</a></td><td>1954</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/William_Steinberg/b0FSWyrt">William Steinberg</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Pittsburgh_Symphony_Orchestra/7HpICoko">Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1954</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Karl_B%C3%B6hm/B7a92t47">Karl Böhm</a></td><td>Concertgebouw Orchestra</td><td>1955</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Hans_Knappertsbusch/UkASzfIB">Hans Knappertsbusch</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Orchestre_de_la_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_des_Concerts_du_Conservatoire/lemN9WkP">Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire</a></td><td>7/8 May 1956</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Fritz_Reiner/FSHB3vyb">Fritz Reiner</a></td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>4/6 Sep 1956</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Artur_Rodzi%C5%84ski/z1GPRhPU">Artur Rodziński</a></td><td>Philharmonia Orchestra</td><td>1957</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/George_Szell/dsCWxcFX">George Szell</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cleveland_Orchestra/c3gLwUAX">Cleveland Orchestra</a></td><td>1957</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Antal_Dor%C3%A1ti/Qd5UUzsb">Antal Doráti</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Minneapolis_Symphony_Orchestra/d7wmQf8a">Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1958</td></tr><tr><td>Eugene Ormandy</td><td>Philadelphia Orchestra</td><td>1959</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Herbert_von_Karajan/pWeFwNfW">Herbert von Karajan</a></td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>1960</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Pierre_Monteux/LxE3nn3N">Pierre Monteux</a></td><td><a href="/facts/San_Francisco_Symphony/N6J1n86A">San Francisco Symphony</a></td><td>23 Jan 1960<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Otto_Klemperer/pcomnGJG">Otto Klemperer</a></td><td>Philharmonia Orchestra</td><td>1961</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Erich_Leinsdorf/7pRAMCJY">Erich Leinsdorf</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Los_Angeles_Philharmonic/nz7ksaad">Los Angeles Philharmonic</a></td><td>1961</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Zden%C4%9Bk_Ko%C5%A1ler/NtmIvJ0J">Zdeněk Košler</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Prague_Symphony_Orchestra/PS7XEtpy">Prague Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1967</td></tr><tr><td>Jascha Horenstein</td><td>London Symphony Orchestra</td><td>1970</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Rudolf_Kempe/50duUT6r">Rudolf Kempe</a></td><td>Staatskapelle Dresden</td><td>1970</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lorin_Maazel/srHJwPlr">Lorin Maazel</a></td><td>New Philharmonia Orchestra</td><td>1971</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Herbert_von_Karajan/pWeFwNfW">Herbert von Karajan</a></td><td>Berlin Philharmonic</td><td>1972<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Eugene_Ormandy/gqhP4q4r">Eugene Ormandy</a></td><td>Philadelphia Orchestra</td><td>1978</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lorin_Maazel/srHJwPlr">Lorin Maazel</a></td><td>Cleveland Orchestra</td><td>1979</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Antal_Dor%C3%A1ti/Qd5UUzsb">Antal Doráti</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Detroit_Symphony_Orchestra/K830t43r">Detroit Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1980</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Klaus_Tennstedt/l2h4Vwc5">Klaus Tennstedt</a></td><td><a href="/facts/London_Philharmonic_Orchestra/2HdtgVpI">London Philharmonic Orchestra</a></td><td>1982</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Claudio_Abbado/8FSvuQlk">Claudio Abbado</a></td><td>London Symphony Orchestra</td><td>1981</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Bernard_Haitink/D1MBXpfG">Bernard Haitink</a></td><td>Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra</td><td>1981</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Eduardo_Mata/BduIJjle">Eduardo Mata</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Dallas_Symphony_Orchestra/lxGXD0fp">Dallas Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1981</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kazuyoshi_Akiyama/1U9wsaUr">Kazuyoshi Akiyama</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Vancouver_Symphony_Orchestra/bMxwo6lv">Vancouver Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1982</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sergiu_Celibidache/uXfp0aab">Sergiu Celibidache</a></td><td>SWR <a href="/facts/Stuttgart_Radio_Symphony_Orchestra/DDsPs3WB">Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1982</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Herbert_von_Karajan/pWeFwNfW">Herbert von Karajan</a></td><td>Berlin Philharmonic</td><td>1982</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Michael_Gielen/cDjaW4yD">Michael Gielen</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cincinnati_Symphony_Orchestra/qlL9eIuC">Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1984</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Andr%C3%A9_Previn/7A67Xd81">André Previn</a></td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>1987</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Giuseppe_Sinopoli/3devRnSv">Giuseppe Sinopoli</a></td><td><a href="/facts/New_York_Philharmonic/wMG2etJQ">New York Philharmonic</a></td><td>1987</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Christoph_von_Dohn%C3%A1nyi/PrjDeADa">Christoph von Dohnányi</a></td><td>Vienna Philharmonic</td><td>1989</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Neeme_J%C3%A4rvi/bERnbs0K">Neeme Järvi</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Scottish_National_Orchestra/gXo7B7aH">Scottish National Orchestra</a></td><td>1989</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Tolga_Kashif/Bz4p1YK1">Tolga Kashif</a></td><td>Philharmonia Orchestra</td><td>1989</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Zden%C4%9Bk_Ko%C5%A1ler/NtmIvJ0J">Zdeněk Košler</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Slovak_Philharmonic/WqP4Fn2P">Slovak Philharmonic</a></td><td>1989</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Yondani_Butt/3wVU8rCD">Yondani Butt</a></td><td>London Symphony Orchestra</td><td>1990</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Vladimir_Ashkenazy/bA1FoeEP">Vladimir Ashkenazy</a></td><td>Cleveland Orchestra</td><td>1990</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/James_Levine/r6pnVElK">James Levine</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Metropolitan_Opera_Orchestra/QVwYlBK9">Metropolitan Opera Orchestra</a></td><td>1995</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lorin_Maazel/srHJwPlr">Lorin Maazel</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Bavarian_Radio_Symphony_Orchestra/UVqWldVL">Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>1995</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Jes%C3%BAs_L%C3%B3pez_Cobos/gncDcaBg">Jesús López Cobos</a></td><td>Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra</td><td>1997</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kurt_Masur/JbA8rtqd">Kurt Masur</a></td><td>New York Philharmonic</td><td>1998</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Vladimir_Ashkenazy/bA1FoeEP">Vladimir Ashkenazy</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Czech_Philharmonic/VrRTVw6K">Czech Philharmonic</a></td><td>1999</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/David_Zinman/YAxjXGI8">David Zinman</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Tonhalle-Orchester_Z%C3%BCrich/9cUkRBws">Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich</a></td><td>2001</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lorin_Maazel/srHJwPlr">Lorin Maazel</a></td><td>New York Philharmonic</td><td>2005</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Donald_Runnicles/uwaswym0">Donald Runnicles</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Atlanta_Symphony_Orchestra/MyoPAoy5">Atlanta Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>2006</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Johannes_Fritzsch/1GvRKCF4">Johannes Fritzsch</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Queensland_Symphony_Orchestra/j3v6QNUz">The Queensland Orchestra</a></td><td>2008</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Manfred_Honeck/mxWxTaCS">Manfred Honeck</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Pittsburgh_Symphony_Orchestra/7HpICoko">Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>2013</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Mariss_Jansons/FlhKaUCh">Mariss Jansons</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Bavarian_Radio_Symphony_Orchestra/UVqWldVL">Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra</a></td><td>2014</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kent_Nagano/s1vNKcq7">Kent Nagano</a></td><td><a href="/facts/G%C3%B6teborgs_Symfoniker/tAcT4GYe">Göteborgs Symfoniker</a></td><td>2016</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Robin_Ticciati/j4moLECp">Robin Ticciati</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Deutsches_Symphonie-Orchester_Berlin/VoaM2UGo">Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin</a></td><td>2020</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Ernest_Newman/DQhRgkQA">Newman, Ernest.</a> "The Music of Death" <i><a href="/facts/The_Musical_Times/jbhoDFVd">The Musical Times</a></i>, July 1, 1915, pp. 398–399.</li> <li>"Herr Richard Strauss" <i><a href="/facts/The_Musical_Times/jbhoDFVd">The Musical Times</a></i>, February 1, 1903, p. 115.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2M67IQ68Q">Video</a> on <a href="/facts/YouTube_video_(identifier)/db276jst">YouTube</a>, Symphony Orchestra of Flanders, conducted by <a href="/facts/Jan_Latham-Koenig/ulu5rJk9">Jan Latham-Koenig</a></li> <li>Tod und Verklärung: Scores at the <a href="/facts/International_Music_Score_Library_Project/TVgA4KwI">International Music Score Library Project</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Bryan Gilliam: "Richard Strauss", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed January 16, 2007), (subscription access) <a href="/wiki/Grove_Music_Online" target="_blank">/wiki/Grove_Music_Online</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Newman, Ernest (1915). "The Music of Death". The Musical Times. 56. Novello: 399. Retrieved 2 February 2022. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=8yAlAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA399" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=8yAlAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA399</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Quoted in Mason, Daniel Gregory (1918), Contemporary Composers, p. 84. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Derrick Puffett's comments on DG disc 447 762-2 <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Hunt J. A Gallic Trio – Charles Munch, Paul Paray, Pierre Monteux. John Hunt, 2003, 2009, p. 204. <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Strauss: Four Last Songs, etc Archived 2016-09-17 at the Wayback Machine, arkivmusic.com <a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1445" target="_blank">http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1445</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>