This is a tone poem (a symphony which tells a story or reflects the mood of a literary text) composed by Richard Strauss in 1896 and inspired by Nietzsche's 1885 novel "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The whole composition is divided into 9 sections, each being based on selected chapters from the novel and describing major moments of the prophet Zarathustra's philosophical journey. In the novel, Zarathustra poses questions about humankind and our existence in the world, urges us to reconsider our values and start considering ourselves as accountable for our actions, rather than blindly believing in God or in any other authority. In this book, Nietzsche praises the "overman", the human who is above all prejudices of human society, struggles to create his/her own purpose and values and assumes full responsibility for his/her actions instead of following the "rabble" .
Strauss created music to emotionally move us and think, just like Nietzsche, about our place in the universe. When he introduced this work, he clarified the following: " I wished to convey, by means of music, an idea of the development of the human race from its origin through the various phases of its development, religious and scientific, up to Nietzsche's idea of the superman". This masterpiece helps us think about the vastness of the universe and the history and purpose of humankind. The sound of its opening is monumental, carrying back to the creation of the universe.