Till Eulenspiegel is a work by which composer?

• A. Gustav Mahler
• B. Igor Stravinsky
• C. Johannes Brahms
• D. Richard Strauss

Answer: (D)

Till Eulenspiegel is a tone poem that uses orchestral color and recurring musical ideas to tell the adventures of the folkloric prankster Till Eulenspiegel. It was composed by Richard Strauss, a master of program music who paints scenes with motifs and instrumental timbres rather than words. The music follows Till’s mischievous deeds, his escapes, and his eventual fate, using lively winds and bold brass to depict pranks and chase-like moments. This narrative, color-driven approach is a hallmark of Strauss’s style, seen in other works that turn stories into orchestral pictures. The other composers listed are known for different approaches—Mahler for expansive, introspective symphonies; Stravinsky for rhythmically innovative, often nonprogrammatic works; Brahms for substantial, more absolute Romantic music. So Till Eulenspiegel comes from Richard Strauss.