R. Strauss: Don Juan
R. Strauss: Don Juan
491 words
note by Chris Myers
Excerpt:
It wasn’t just the piece’s structure that made Don Juan revolutionary. This work makes demands on the orchestra that far exceed anything previously composed. The musicians are expected to perform effortlessly at the extremes of their instruments’ ranges, and the work demands breath control from the wind players unmatched in earlier music. The story is told that during rehearsal for the work’s premiere, a horn player asked Strauss if Beethoven’s sixth symphony was still to follow the piece on the program. Strauss confirmed this, and the horn player muttered, “That remains to be seen.”