When news broke in 1896 that Strauss had written a musical interpretation of Nietzsche’s philosophical treatise, the idea was mocked. The notion seemed ridiculous to most; the tone poem itself was still a radical new concept. But then they heard it.

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The thrilling opening was made famous by Kubrik’s film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’ It is such an imposing, clear, and final bit of music that Salonen once commented that after writing it, Strauss probably asked himself, ‘And now what?’. But the work carries on for another 30 minutes afterward. What’s it all about?

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The famous opening represents Nature in all its complete, majestic coherence, in particular a sunrise awakening both a new day and Zarathustra’s new perspective on life and his sudden urge to end 10 years of self-isolation. Specifically, Nature is musically represented by the rising three-note figure first played by all four trumpets and later appearing everywhere. But also important is the fact that it is played in the key of C, the key corresponding to all the white notes on a keyboard: no flats, no sharps, sitting right in the middle of the musical universe -where else could it be?

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The key is as important as the 3-note motif because the entire piece is a battle by us, humanity, trying to make sense of it all. We, and our concerns, are represented by the remote key of B, as well as other themes. Throughout the work, Strauss plays around with this far-yet-near key contest in many different ways, sometimes with brutal clashes, occasionally craftily dropping that half-step. But I get ahead of myself.

 

What, according to Strauss, was the first thing that early humans turned to to try and explain the sun, the sky, and the world around them? Strauss gives us clues: through the climax of the first orchestral blast, we hear hints of an organ. When the dust settles, snippets of hymns. Strauss reminds us that religion was, and for some still is, the first port of call for querying minds that don’t or won’t investigate further. This gorgeous first section, entitled ‘The Backworldsmen’, played by the strings and organ, takes us through the raptures of faith leading seamlessly into ‘Of the Great Longing’, an inner battle that breaks out when, no matter how much we will it, religion just won’t answer all our questions. We claw at the hymns, but faith isn’t enough.

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The orchestra dives into ‘Of Joys and Passions’, and ‘Song of the Grave’: when religion fails, we try drawing on our own life experiences. Horns and strings tear through a violent yet lyrical, then sunny, then angry tune, ending with resigned, stirred emotions. A slower climax builds and fades through yawning chromatic lines. Nature dashes our hopes again.

 

Having failed thus far, we turn to ‘Of Science and Learning’. Low double basses and cellos growl a slowly awakening fugato. More groups are added, piling on top of each other in ever more intricate combinations. Strauss has taken the 3-note Nature motif into the laboratory, isolating, shifting, and mixing the musical material. The scientific experiment gains momentum, test tubes bubble, and through a bigger second fugue (in the next section ‘The Convalescent’), erupts in a massive explosion in the shape of the 3-note motif from the entire orchestra at full tilt.

 

From the pieces of this destruction, the strangest music of the entire work emerges -some of it marked sarcastically ‘with humour’ for the piping E-flat clarinet and friends- leading into the penultimate section, ‘The Dance Song’. ‘What the heck’, Strauss, or Nietzche, seems to say. ‘We’ve tried everything, we may as well throw it all in and just dance’.

 

The waltz builds in momentum and scale, and all the themes heard previously cut into each other, converging in a final epic clash. A bell tolls significantly 12 times. The music gradually deconstructs, falling apart (Song of the Night Wanderer), ending with a most serene section from the strings.

But Nature has the last word. As the piece dissolves into high woodwind B major chords tentatively proclaiming we have finally understood Nature, trombones and basses beg to differ, interrupting in C, the latter with the 3-not motif. The winds try to ‘end’ again and are interrupted. And again. Nature will forever be beyond our understanding.