iMedia: Strauss' Ein Heldenleben

Music that tells a story or goes with a story amplifies the experience of that story. The melodies become representative of specific events, characters, or moods. Even if there aren't words or a movie in front of you while listening to the music, a story is still played out. When I listen to Ein Heldenleben, I don't even see an actual picture of people and events taking place. I just have a feel for what's happening. For example, I can tell that the repeating and heroic melody represents the hero and how it's played and in what context shows the mood and events taking place at that point of the music. 

I find this fascinating. Without being told that a rising melody links to rising action, heavier orchestra means something more serious, or that tempos show a pace; my brain can still understand the flow and events of the story. Is there an archetypal application to music where different aspects of the music evoke different emotions? I can conclude that with many  pieces, a major key, fast tempo, and light articulation is more on the bright side than a minor key, slow tempo, and winding melodies. There are of course some exceptions, but certain things in music tend to be archetypal. 

Much like authors use word choice, structure, and organization to shape their writing; composers and musicians carefully pick out a key signature, articulation, dynamics, and instruments to provoke different listening experiences from the audience. Not only musicians and music theorists enjoy music. Even people who have no idea how musical notation and keys work can get the same emotional experiences from music.

What I'm finding with Ein Heldenleben is that the music not only shapes the story, it is the story. The very specific choices of the musical aspects in this piece show the parts of the story. It's a musical equivalent of a book or movie. I feel like this piece of music would be too complete to go along with a movie. The music takes care of all the action and emotion. The movie would be accompanying the music; not the other around. 

I am very excited to play this piece in the spring. Every person in each section matters in the story; it can not be complete while missing any piece of the orchestra because everything is so intertwined and connected. Strauss has composed a truly fantastic and brilliant example of how music is the story.

 This is a good interpretation (the best I could find on Youtube). I recommend the recording of Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (I own this one and I love it).