Throughout this project, our composers are encouraged to reflect, critique, embrace, reject or deconstruct Strauss’s language and model. It is an exploration of the notion of the tone poem and the orchestra as a tool for storytelling.
“1Q84” is a work of sophistication, nuance, and emotional insight, and it is a privilege to share it with the world.
Alexander Shelley, music director
Ottawa (Canada), Oct. 9, 2025 – Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) announces the second volume of its visionary recording project devoted to the tone poems of Richard Strauss, paired with new compositions, opening a dialogue between past and present. Scheduled for release on Nov. 14, Poema: 2. Terra Nova, is Music Director Alexander Shelley and NACO’s second in a series of albums pairing Strauss with contemporary works by leading Canadian composers. It will be available worldwide via the Analekta label.
For the project, Shelley asked Canadian composers to craft compositions that respond to masterpieces by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). While Ad Astra, the first album (released in January), explored transcendence, the afterlife, and the cosmos, Terra Nova delves into two works that yearn for meaning, comprehension, and the discovery of new intellectual and philosophical ground. The album brings together Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, a work inspired by Nietzsche’s book of the same name that examines humanity’s relationship with nature and eternal truths, and Ian Cusson’s 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna, a response to it that probes the inner landscapes of the human experience.
Alexander Shelley
Photo: Greggory Clark
Strauss follows the overarching narrative of the central theme in Nietzsche’s classic philosophical novel: in a world where God is dead, humanity must strive to evolve into a higher form (the Übermensch, or “superhuman”), which can only be achieved through an individual’s overcoming of metaphysical longing (blind faith, superstition, ignorance) in eternally recurring cycles. “Also sprach Zarathustra remains one of the great monuments of orchestral music,” writes Shelley in his introduction. “Its thunderous opening, with its majestic sunrise, has become a cultural emblem of humanity’s striving for greatness. Yet beyond this radiant opening lies a tone poem of extraordinary complexity.”
Ian Cusson, the inaugural Carrefour composer with NACO, from 2017 to 2019, composed 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna as a contemporary counterpart to the grand vision of Strauss’s tone poem. Drawing on Haruki Murakami’s philosophical novel 1Q84, Cusson, who is of Métis (Georgian Bay Métis Community) and French Canadian descent, crafts a sound world of beauty and intricacy. The novel examines parallel worlds, fractured identities, and the unsettling boundaries between reality and illusion; Cusson’s orchestral response loosely follows its structure, with thematic material connected to the characters and plotline.
Ian Cusson
Photo: John Arano
Like Nietzsche, Murakami questions the frameworks that shape our understanding of existence. “With its vivid textures and emotional depth, Ian’s music transforms these ideas into sound,” adds Shelley. “Ian is a gifted storyteller. His work in opera demonstrates his sensitivity to human emotion and ability to craft characters of profound depth. Both composers confront life’s great questions – Strauss through Nietzsche’s cosmic lens, Cusson through Murakami’s dreamlike and intimate narratives.”
Shelley and NACO’s Strauss project will continue with more companion pieces commissioned from Canadian or Canada-based composers. Later recordings will focus on Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, featuring new works by Alexina Louie and John Estacio, and Ein Heldenleben. NACO will release the albums individually and later as a box set.
- Producer, sound engineer: Carl Talbot, Musicom Productions
- Sound engineer: Charles Gagnon
- Digital editing: Philippe Bouvrette
- Mastering: Marc Thériault (Le Lab mastering) & Carl Talbot
- Label: Analekta (AN 2 8892)
Download music (WAV and mp3), front cover, back cover, and booklet here.
About Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships. The NAC Orchestra has also established a rich discography, including many of the over 80 orchestral works it has commissioned over the years.
Cusson and Shelley
