ein heldenleben the hero the hero’s critics

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