One of the most popular symphonic poems by Richard Strauss - actually one of the most famous tone poems ever - is his ""Thus Spoke Zarathustra"" op. 30, from 1896. The distinctive theme, followed by timpani blows and powerful, surging chords in the brass, was well-known long before it was used for a film score (Stanley Kubrick's ""2001: A Space Odyssey""). Fifty years ago, this work went far beyond the limits of classical music - and is now familiar to all. The cumbersome title, along with the fact that the composition tackles Friedrich Nietzsche's eponymous poetic and philosophical work may even have initially hampered its overwhelming popularity. Nietzsche himself fittingly commented: ""To which genre does this 'Zarathustra' belong, I wonder? I am rather inclined to think it is 'symphonies'.

1. Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, TrV 176