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Strauss first began writing his tone poem ‘An Alpine Symphony’ in 1900 but worked on it on-and-off for a number of years. It was only in 1911 when his friend and fellow composer, Gustav Mahler, died, that Strauss was inspired to return to the symphony.

Scored for a large orchestra of over 100 players, ‘An Alpine Symphony’ is a tone poem, describing a journey through the German Alps. It is thought that Strauss was inspired to write the work after taking part in an expedition as a teenager, that aimed to reach the summit of the Heimgarten in the Bavarian Alps. During the piece, each part of the journey through the Alps is described in a distinct programme of 22 sections, though it is performed as one continuous movement.

This performance of the Alpine Symphony took place in St David’s Hall in 2012, and was the last concert with Thierry Fischer as ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ NOW’s Principal Conductor.