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Abstract
The subtitle to Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra reads "Tondichtung (frei nach Freidrich Nietzsche)" ("Tone poem freely after Nietzsche"). But to what extent does the tone poem expresses Nietzschean philosophy? A statement by Strauss himself rejects a Nietzschean meaning for the tone poem. I believe that there is a closer connection between the tone poem and Nietzsche's work of the same name. Some tone poems, such as Strauss's Ein Heldenleben tell a very specific narrative but others, such as Smetana's A ceskych luhu a háju, are more vague. What kind of narrative is told in Also Sprach Zarathustra? I will demonstrate through analysis that a more direct reading of Nietzsche provides a clearer narrative than that provided by other scholars. To understand the portrayal of Nietzschean philosophy in the tone poem I will include a discussion of musical narrative and how it relates to tone poems in general. One question that will be addressed is if Also Sprach Zarathustra is unique as a tone poem about philosophy. I will then discuss aspects of Nietzschean philosophy as they pertain to this tone poem. Finally I will analyze Also Sprach Zarathustra using select sections of the tone poem to answer to what extent the Nietzschean narrative is reflected in the tone poem. My analysis will illustrate a closer connection than other scholars, and will also show that the narrative is a blend of Nietzschean and Schopenhauerian philosophy. Through thematic and harmonic analysis, I will trace the narrative in Also Sprach Zarathustra.