Musical Storytelling: The Antiheroes

The fairytale figure of Till Ugglespegel was once as famous as Arne Anka or Herman Hedning are today – and his pranks were just as uncouth as those of his successors. In Richard Strauss’s symphonic poem, after having humiliated both craftsmen, priests and sages, Till is eventually sentenced do death. Sibelius’s fairytale hero Lemminkäinen is not evil or malevolent, but his debauchery leads to his death and his sorcerous mother must revive him with the help of the gods. Magnificent music with conductor James Gaffigan.