Don Juan

Strauss’ early tone poem Don Juan, composed in 1888 and premiered the following year in Weimar, is an incredibly bold, almost cinematic piece of music whose immediate success placed the young composer at the very forefront of European musical developments at the end of the 19th century. Even today it’s impossible not to be thrilled by the visceral impact of the work’s opening. The frenzied sound of the violins rushing headlong into the rhythmically assertive first theme, played by the full orchestra, paints a vivid picture of Don Juan’s arrogant yet reckless personality. Somewhat later, in two lyrical episodes of a passionate and sensual nature, we experience his prowess as a lover and seducer. Emboldened by these trysts, Don Juan sets off on further adventures, the horns blaring out an entirely new and rousing theme that communicates an aura of supreme confidence. But uncertainty is never far from the surface. Indeed, from the nervy edge to the music it becomes increasingly apparent that Don Juan’s life is in danger and that the nobleman he once killed in a duel is going to wreak his revenge. Near the end of the work there is a huge climax, followed by a chilling moment of silence. Thereafter, a quiet sustained chord, punctuated by quivering violins, a harsh, dissonant note from the trumpets and a shudder from the violas, signals Don Juan’s demise.