Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks facts for kids

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks (German: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche) is a famous piece of music for a large orchestra. It was written by the German composer Richard Strauss. This music is a type of tone poem. A tone poem is a piece of music that tells a story or describes something.

In this music, Richard Strauss tells the adventures of a character named Till Eulenspiegel. Till was a folk hero from old German stories. He was known for being a naughty boy who played many funny tricks on people. The music is very funny and shows all of his adventures.

The music uses a big orchestra. A small clarinet (often an E-flat clarinet) plays the part of Till. A French horn also helps to show Till's character in the music.

What Happens in the Music?

The music begins with a main tune that sounds like "Once upon a time." The French horn plays one of Till's special tunes. Then, the whole orchestra joins in.

Next, you hear the small clarinet. It sounds like Till laughing! He rides his horse through a busy market. He knocks over many things from the market stalls. Then, he tries to flirt with the girls there. The first violins play a tune that sounds like love.

Till gets back on his horse and rides away. Suddenly, the music changes to a sad funeral march. This part means that Till has been caught! He is going to be punished.

Till tries to talk his way out of trouble. He even tries to make jokes. But the executioner does not listen. Till is taken to the gallows, shown by the small clarinet. The flutes play fast notes as he reaches the top. The small clarinet then plays a sound like his last scream. The strings play short, plucked notes (called pizzicato) to show his end.

There is a short quiet moment. Then, the music goes back to the "Once upon a time" tune from the beginning. But the music ends with a little joke. It's as if it's saying that someone like Till can never truly be stopped!

Images for kids

• 

  Richard Strauss in 1894, when he was 30 years old.

• 

  A scene from the ballet Till Eulenspiegel in 1916.

See also

In Spanish: Las alegres travesuras de Till Eulenspiegel para niños