Premiere of Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra in Frankfurt

Background. Also sprach Zarathustra is a tone poem by German composer Richard Strauss, written in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's 1883–1885 philosophical work of the same name. Strauss, known for his tone poems, produced this work during his creative period in Munich. It belongs to a series of increasingly ambitious tone poems that also includes Death and Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Don Quixote, and Ein Heldenleben.

Premiere. The first performance of Also sprach Zarathustra took place in Frankfurt on 27 November 1896. Strauss himself conducted the performance. The work was completed in 1896, aligning with the premiere date. No specific orchestra is named in the supplied passages, though Strauss was active as a conductor during this period.

Context. Strauss was appointed Kapellmeister, or first conductor, of the Bavarian State Opera shortly before his September 1894 marriage, leaving his post in Weimar for the position. While working in Munich he had his largest creative period of tone poem composition, producing Also sprach Zarathustra in 1896 alongside Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Don Quixote. The Frankfurt premiere occurred during this productive phase of his career.