“Don Juan”, Op. 20 is a tone poem for large orchestra by the German composer Richard Strauss, written in 1888. The composer conducted its premiere on 11 November 1889 with the orchestra of the Weimar Opera, where he served as Court Kapellmeister.
Strauss wrote and conducted the piece when he was only twenty-four years old and it became an international success shortly after its debut. It marks the discovery of the composer’s formal style and tonal language. The work is based on the poem “Don Juan” by Nikolaus Lenau, from which much of the musical work’s passion is drawn.
Conductor: Georg Solti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra