“Once upon a time, there was a roguish jester, whose name was Till” So begins Richard Strauss’s masterpiece “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” a symphonic poem based on the exploits of the folk figure of the same name. This evocative sentence, written into the composer’s own program notes, is perfectly translated into sound in this adventurous opening.
But who was Till Eulenspiegel? He was possibly born in Brunswick, Germany in the early 14th century, living a life as a rebel against authority. He was also possibly an entirely imaginary figure, a figment whose popularity in medieval times led to his immortality as a folk legend. His name meant “Owl Mirror,” which is the source behind the symbols and icons represented in popular woodcuts of the rascally jokester.
