HELDEN - LEBEN - LIED | Music by Dvořák, Glazunov, Strauss

In their new album, the Bamberg Symphony and their chief conductor Jakub Hrůša delve into the essence of heroism through music. This highly anticipated recording features three evocative orchestral works: Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, Antonín Dvořák’s A Hero’s Song, Op. 111, and Aleksandr Glazunov’s To the Memory of a Hero. A coproduction with BR-Klassik, the album was recorded at the orchestra’s home in the Joseph-Keilberth-Saal of the Bamberg Concert Hall between September 2023 and February 2025.

At once majestic, introspective, and full of emotional nuance, the program offers a multifaceted meditation on heroism—from the swaggering self-portrait of Strauss, to the spiritual resilience of Dvořák, to the tender remembrance in Glazunov’s elegy. Each of the three works engages with the idea of the hero from a unique angle. The result is a wide-ranging exploration of the heroic ideal across culture and personal expression.

The album opens with Antonín Dvořák’s A Hero’s Song, a rarely performed but deeply personal work. Composed shortly after the composer’s return to Bohemia from New York, the tone poem stands as his final orchestral work without voices—and the last of his symphonic poems. Though Dvořák rarely allowed autobiographical elements into his music, A Hero’s Song appears to be a rare exception. The composer himself offered programmatic notes describing the work’s emotional progression through conflict, sorrow, renewal, and ultimate triumph—suggesting a symbolic portrait of an inner or artistic hero.

In contrast, Alexander Glazunov’s To the Memory of a Hero offers a restrained, solemn counterpoint. Composed when Glazunov was only 20 years old, the elegy reveals remarkable emotional maturity. Rather than depicting a specific event or battle, the work invites contemplation and remembrance. It avoids overt theatricality, instead unfolding as a dignified musical tribute.

The program culminates in Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, one of the most iconic orchestral tone poems of the late Romantic era. Conceived as a grand self-portrait, it traces the journey of a hero—from confrontation with enemies and pursuit of love, to acts of bravery and eventual withdrawal from the world. Ein Heldenleben is as provocative as it is masterful, blending Strauss’ signature orchestral brilliance with a complex—and at times ironic—narrative. From the outset, the work inspired divided reactions, and its legacy remains equally celebrated and debated.

Rather than offering a single image of the hero, the album presents three musical meditations—each shaped by different backgrounds and artistic philosophies. Together, Dvořák, Glazunov, and Strauss offer not only portraits of imagined or idealized figures, but also insights into the composers themselves and the societies they inhabited. Whether depicting triumph, tribute, or transformation, each work contributes to a broader understanding of the heroic in music. After the much-lauded release of the album „Liebestod“, in early 2023 (ACC30599, Accentus Music), this new concept album is another testament to the expressive range of the Bamberg Symphony and the interpretive depth of Jakub Hrůša, who continues to earn acclaim for his dynamic and thoughtful programming.