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What literary character inspired Richard Straussâs tone poem Don Juan?
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Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss.
The tone poem Don Juan, Op. 20, by German composer Richard Strauss, was inspired by the legendary Spanish libertine Don Juan.1
Specifically, Strauss drew his inspiration from a version of the story written by the Austrian poet Nikolaus Lenau, which was published posthumously in 1851. Strauss followed Lenauâs interpretation of the character, focusing on a narrative where the protagonist, exhausted by his relentless pursuit of romance, ultimately meets his end in a duel.12