Also sprach Zarathustra

*Also sprach Zarathustra*
Also sprach Zarathustra
Tone poem by Richard Strauss
	Strauss in 1894
Opus	30
Based on	Nietzsche's philosophical novel
Composed	1896
Duration	33 minutes
Scoring	Large orchestra
Premiere
Date	27 November 1896
Location	Frankfurt
Conductor	Richard Strauss

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (German: [ˈalzo ʃpʁaːx t͡saʁaˈtʊstʁa] ^ⓘ, Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra)^[1] is a tone poem by German composer Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's 1883–1885 philosophical work of the same name.^[2] Strauss conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts roughly 33 minutes.

The initial fanfare – titled "Sunrise" in the composer's programme notes^[3] – became well known after its use in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.^[4]

^ Listed in the closing credits of 2001: A Space Odyssey as "Thus spoke Zarathustra" but on the official soundtrack albums as "Thus spake Zarathustra". The book by Nietzsche has been translated both ways and the title of Strauss's music is usually rendered in the original German whenever not discussed in the context of 2001. Although Britannica Online's entry lists the piece as "Thus spoke Zarathustra", music encyclopedias usually use "spake".
^ "Richard Strauss – Tone-Poem, Death and Transfiguration, Opus 24" Archived 2008-04-15 at the Wayback Machine (and other works), Old And Sold
^ "Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, Richard Strauss". LA Phil. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
^ "Baltimore Symphony Orchestra - Also Sprach Zarathustra!". 2012-01-27. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 2024-12-03.