Aus Italien
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Aus Italien, op. 16 is a tone poem for full orchestra composed by Richard Strauss in 1886. It was inspired from the composer's visit to Italy in the summer of the same year, where he travelled Rome, Bologna, Naples, Sorrento, Salerno, and Capri. He already began to sketch the work while still on the journey.
The full score of the work was completed in Munich on 12 September 1886. The work is named by the composer as 'Symphonic Fantasy', and is dedicated to his mentor Hans von Bülow. It is the only work by Richard Strauss for which he himself wrote a specific program. The entire work takes over forty minutes to perform.
[edit] Structure
The piece is in 4 movements:
- Auf der Campagna. Andante
- In Roms Ruinen. Allegro molto con brio
- Am Strande von Sorrent. Andantino
- Neapolitanisches Volksleben. Allegro molto
[edit] Première
The first performance of the work took place in Munich on 2 March 1887 by the Court Orchestra which was conducted by the composer himself. As Richard Strauss's sister Johanna later recalled, the first three movements were received with applause, but the last movement was not well-approved and derisory whistles came from various quarters. Strauss himself found the work itself as new and revolutionary, with much satisfaction despite the critical responses for the première.
[edit] Unintentional plagiarism
The most controversial movement is of course the Finale, which Strauss claimed to be based on, as the title suggests, "a well known Neapolitan folk song, and in addition a tarantella (he) had heard in Sorrento." Strauss did not notice that the "folk song" he heard was indeed the popular tune Funiculì, Funiculà composed by the Italian composer Luigi Denza in 1880. To his great embarrassment, Strauss realised his mistake when an angry Denza filed a lawsuit against him. Denza won the lawsuit, and Strauss was forced to pay him a royalty every time Aus Italien was performed in public.
