ein heldenleben the hero the hero’s critics
TRANSCRIPT
EIN HELDENLEBEN
The Hero
The Hero’s Critics
The Scholars
The Hero is saddenedby the fact that he
is not accepted
The critic andthe scholars
He shuns his criticsupon seeing:
The Hero’s partner(Pauline Strauss, his wife)
She is a womanof many moods.
Hypocritically languishing
Frivolous
Sweet, sentimental
Insolent
Playful
Lovable
More and moreangry
Suddenly filledwith warmth.
Angry
Scolding
Tender and loving
She submits to himcompletely
They graduallyfall asleep
The Hero’s nightmare--even in his sleep,
the critics haunt him
A call to battle
The Hero arises
His gentle wifepersuades him to remainin the reverie of slumber
The call to battle,even closer
The Hero cannot ignore thistime, and with his wife at
his side prepares to do battle.
The Battle begins--theHero and his wife against
his critics and foes.
Victory!
The Hero and his wifeemerge victorious
The Hero’s worksof peace
Two themes fromStrauss’ Don Juan
The scholars arenot impressed
Hero’s theme fromEin Heldenleben
Theme from Strauss”Death and Transfiguration
Theme from Strauss’Don Quixote
Don Quixote (SanchoPanza) and Don Juan
together (an odd pairing…)
Theme from StraussTill Eugenspiegel
Death and Transfigurationand Strauss’ Thus Spake
Zarathustra together
Love music fromStrauss’ Don Quixote
Death and Transfiguration
Thus Spake Zarathustra
Still, the scholarsshake their headsdisapprovingly
The Hero breaksinto a rage
Pastoral sounds in theEnglish horns:
Perhaps the Hero isleaving for a morepeaceful existence
Epilogue: The Heroand his helpmate
escape from the world.
The critics reartheir ugly heads
one last time
The Hero tries tocast their weight
from his shoulders
The Hero’s helpmatecomforts andreassures him
The Hero (French horn)and his helpmate (solo
violin) in a touching duet
