Richard Strauss – Enoch Arden

Robert Anderson and Patrick Hemmerlé present Richard Strauss’ Enoch Arden, an infrequently performed melodrama for narrator and piano in a genre that once captivated audiences across Europe.

Composed early in Strauss’s career, Enoch Arden brought him considerable acclaim, at the time eclipsing even his symphonic poems in popularity. In more recent decades the work has been revived and championed by distinguished performers including Glenn Gould and Stephen Hough at the piano, alongside narrators such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Jon Vickers.

Setting Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s narrative poem, the piece tells the story of a fisherman marooned for eleven years after a shipwreck, who finally returns home to discover that his wife has married his childhood friend. By turns intimate and dramatic, Strauss’s score heightens the emotional intensity of this tale of endurance, loss and selfless love.

The concert will also feature Strauss’ Violin Sonata performed by a student duet.

Join us at Clare Hall on Saturday 21 March and experience this gripping tale brought vividly to life! Tickets available via Eventbrite.