- Macbeth is a tone poem written in 1888 based on the Shakespeare play. The piece went through more revisions than any other of Strauss’s symphonic works, which suggests that the composer struggled with how to successfully portray the literary narrative within the confines of a musical structure.1 The final revision premiered in Berlin in 1892 to great success and satisfaction from the composer.2
- Historically, Macbeth‘s place in concert repertoire has been largely overshadowed by the success of Don Juan, which has become something of an archetype for the tone poem genre.3
- Strauss’s Shakespearean tone poem doesn’t directly follow the play’s narrative but rather provides a character study of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.4
Sources
- Bryan Gilliam and Charles Youmans, “Strauss, Richard,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040117.
- Michael Kennedy, Essay in accompanying booklet, Richard Strauss: Macbeth/ Der Rosenkavalier/Notturno performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi, CHAN 8834, 1990, compact disc.
- Bryan Gilliam and Charles Youmans, “Strauss, Richard,” Grove Music Online.
- Michael Kennedy, Essay in accompanying booklet, Richard Strauss: Macbeth/ Der Rosenkavalier/Notturno.
Cut IDs
40348