Der Abend, Op. 34, No. 1

Imagine a warm summer evening, the sun setting, and the world growing still. Richard Strauss captures this mood in Der Abend, a secular Lied for SATB choir. The German text speaks of the radiant god descending, the parched earth thirsting for dew, and the gentle approach of night. It describes a mythical scene with Thetis and Apollo, personifying the end of the day and the embrace of love. Strauss's music, in this arrangement for a large choir, would create a rich and enveloping sound, perfectly suited for a reflective moment in a concert programme, perhaps as a contemplative close to a set of Lieder or as a standalone evocation of twilight.