Langgaard: Prelude to "Antichrist" - R. Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Live)

Richard Strauss's huge tone poem An Alpine Symphony, which depicts a day spent climbing a mountain, was originally to be titled 'Der Antichrist', under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche. In their live recording, the Seattle Symphony and Thomas Dausgaard couple this work with the prelude to Rued Langgard's opera Antichrist, exploring the two composers’ differing interpretations of the concept.

Featuring

Thomas Dausgaard
Seattle Symphony
Rued Langgaard
Richard Strauss

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Composition History

Richard Strauss originally intended to title his 'An Alpine Symphony' as 'The Antichrist', viewing it as a symbol of moral cleansing and a new humanity.

Compositional Technique

Strauss's 'An Alpine Symphony' uses a motif echoing the opening of his earlier work 'Also sprach Zarathustra', reminiscent of Richard Wagner's narrative use of leitmotifs.

Recording & Production

This album features the world premiere recording of the original version of Langgaard's 'Prelude to Antichrist'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Both Rued Langgaard and Richard Strauss, composers on this album, were fascinated by the figure of Antichrist, which influenced their works.

Composer Biography

Rued Langgaard, an organist in Denmark, was admired by Edvard Grieg as a wunderkind but was largely ignored in his mature years, only rising to fame long after his death.

Performer Biography

Thomas Dausgaard, the conductor on this album, is also the Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and has been awarded the Cross of Chivalry by the Queen of Denmark.

Historical Context

The word Antichrist was circulating in cultural circles around 1900, partly due to philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's critical writing titled 'The Antichrist'.