Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
PROGRAMME NOTES
written by AURÉLIE WALSCHAERT
Emilie Mayer Faust-Ouverture, Op. 46 (1879)
Robert Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 (1850)
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Richard Strauss Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28 (1895)
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier (Suite), Op. 59 (1910)
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30.10.2026 FLAGEY BRUSSELS
Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Richard Strauss, a master of musical storytelling, was irresistibly drawn to iconic stories featuring strong characters in the lead roles. He was able to give free rein to his imagination with the folk hero Till Eulenspiegel: a sparkling legend about the illustrious deeds of a rogue, troublemaker and misanthrope who couldn’t care less about laws and rules. How different is the atmosphere in his successful opera Der Rosenkavalier, in which tender love, graceful Viennese waltzes and passionate scenes alternate. Robert Schumann (1810–1856) was captivated by the cello’s lyrical voice and emotional range, composing his only Cello Concerto in the space of just two weeks. His wife, Clara Schumann, was immediately enthralled: ‘I played through Robert’s Cello Concerto once again, and gave myself a truly musical and happy hour. Its romantic spirit, vitality, freshness and humour, together with the wonderfully intricate interplay between cello and orchestra, are utterly delightful!’ As a composer, Clara was every bit the equal of her husband. Yet by marrying Robert, she effectively set her own compositional career aside. Their contemporary Emilie Mayer (1812–1883) deliberately chose a different path. Determined to make her living as a professional composer, she built an impressive body of work, including a number of remarkable orchestral compositions such as her Faust Overture.
Forgotten pioneer
On 20 April 1850, the Berlin newspaper Vossische Zeitung announced a concert at the city theatre featuring works by the then little-known German composer Emilie Mayer: ‘On Sunday morning, the musical world may look forward to an event of exceptional interest. A lady will present a number of her own compositions at the Royal Theatre (…) A concert programme consisting entirely of works by a woman is, to the best of our knowledge and experience, unprecedented in the history of music.’ Mayer proved to be well ahead of her time. The Neue Berliner Musikzeitung was equally impressed: ‘Until now, a woman’s hand has conquered little beyond the art song (…), but a string quartet, let alone a symphony displaying all the necessary mastery of thematic development and orchestration – that is truly exceptional.’
Mayer had a particular affinity for orchestral music, especially overtures. She composed around fifteen of them, although only a third have survived. The best known is her Faust Overture, the only work in the genre to be based on a literary programme. It also tackles a distinctly male subject, one that fellow composers Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt and Wagner had already explored. Yet Mayer may have felt a stronger connection to Gretchen, the female protagonist of Goethe’s Faust. The only extra-musical indication at the end of the score seems to confirm this: ‘Sie ist gerettet’ (‘She is saved’).
The première of Mayer’s Faust Overture in 1881 was warmly received by both audiences and critics. The work was performed in several European cities, and an arrangement for piano four hands was published. Yet after her death, her entire output slipped into obscurity. That began to change with the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of her birth in 2012. Since then, interest in her music has steadily grown. In 2023, for example, the Berliner Symphoniker devoted a retrospective to her work and released a film honouring the composer, with her Faust Overture serving as its soundtrack.
Defying convention
Schumann composed his only Cello Concerto in the space of just two weeks. On 10 October 1850, he noted in his diary that he ‘felt the urge to compose’, and by 24 October he was able to record that the concerto was complete. Having only recently taken up his post as Music Director in Düsseldorf, Schumann found fresh creative energy in the prospect of a new chapter in his career. Within the space of three months, he completed two large-scale works: his Third Symphony, the ‘Rhenish’, and this Cello Concerto.
The concerto opens with a captivating melody in the solo cello, which unfolds throughout the expressive first movement. A tender, song-like middle movement leads directly into a playful and buoyant finale, ending with a cadenza – unusually accompanied by the orchestra. Because Schumann disliked applause between movements, the three movements are performed without interruption. The three opening chords provide the thematic material for the transitional passages, acting as the musical ‘glue’ linking the movements together. Unusually for its time, the concerto contains relatively few passages designed to showcase the soloist’s virtuosity. Schumann himself explained this by saying: ‘I cannot compose for virtuosi. I must try something different.’
Indeed, Schumann preferred to call the work a Konzertstück, signalling his wish to depart from the conventions of the traditional concerto. Ironically, it was precisely this unconventional approach that attracted criticism, delaying the première until four years after his death. Although the concerto remained neglected for many years, its distinctive romantic character has since secured its place as one of the most frequently performed works in the cello repertoire.
Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Richard Strauss (1864–1949) drew inspiration from old folk tales and brought the trickster Till Eulenspiegel to life in his tone poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (1894–95). In the reflective introduction, the horn presents the first ‘Till theme’, which the orchestra immediately takes up in rondo form. The clarinet introduces the second theme and follows Till as he rides his horse through a market, wreaking havoc and horrifying the market women. Rich or distinctive melodies portray Till’s mischievous exploits, while tender passages in the violins, clarinets and flutes evoke his romantic adventures. All this comes to an abrupt end when ominous brass sounds and heavy drum rolls announce the hero’s arrest. Till is hanged; a distorted theme in the clarinet symbolises his final breath. The strings gradually slow in an uneven rhythm: Till’s body sways for a while before coming to rest. As the flutes sound, his soul leaves his body. After a moment of silence, the first theme returns as a humorous ‘in memoriam’, suggesting that figures like Till never truly disappear.
Der Rosenkavalier (suite)
Strauss composed this ‘comedy for music’ with his regular librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, with whom he had previously collaborated on Elektra. The change in style was striking: after the innovative, richly Romantic Elektra, Strauss turned to light-hearted opera, taking Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte as his models. The engaging story has much in common with Mozart’s comic operas, complete with secret affairs, disguises and misunderstandings. Der Rosenkavalier was an immediate success. Years later, in 1945, a suite bringing together the prelude and several highlights from this kaleidoscopic opera was published with Strauss’s approval.
