Why does Symphonia Domestica require such a large orchestra?

Richard Strauss utilized a huge orchestra in his 1903 work Symphonia Domestica to provide the descriptive power necessary to illustrate 24 hours in the life of his own family household.1

The large ensemble was employed to capture specific, intimate, and domestic details through music, including scenes such as bathing the baby, domestic quarrels, and lovemaking. This approach reflects Strauss's broader artistic goal of harnessing the expressive and descriptive capabilities of the large Wagnerian opera orchestra for the concert hall, allowing him to convey psychological detail and everyday life with remarkable precision.1