In this, the Season 1 Finale, Dr. Music discusses a subset of program music called the tone poem. A tone poem, like other types of program music, is a musical representation of a work of art, be it a short story, novel, poem, or historical event. The later Romantic composers like Richard Strauss had a significantly developed advanced harmonic vocabulary to explore the psychological state of a story's characters, reflecting a Freudian approach to conveying more personal emotions. But most importantly, this kind of music really succeeds in stirring our imaginations, taking us to far-flung areas of artistic expression, regardless of the program. And that's the real delight in listening to the examples in this episode! Be sure to hear the little holiday tidbit at the every end...
