World riddle

For the musical term, see Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss).
Ernst Haeckel wrote about the World Riddle in 1895.

The term "world riddle" or "world-riddle" has been associated, for over 100 years, with Friedrich Nietzsche (who mentioned Welträthsel in several of his writings) and with the biologist-philosopher Ernst Haeckel, who, as a professor of zoology at the University of Jena, wrote the book Die Welträthsel in 1895–1899, in modern spelling Die Welträtsel (German; "The World-riddles"), with the English version published under the title The Riddle of the Universe, 1901.[1]

The term "world riddle" concerns the nature of the universe and the meaning of life.

The question and answer of the World Riddle has also been examined as an inspiration or allegorical meaning within some musical compositions, such as the unresolved harmonic progression at the end of Also sprach Zarathustra (1896) by composer Richard Strauss.[2][3]

  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 804.
  2. ^ "Colorado Symphony Orchestra - Richard Strauss (1864–1949): Also Sprach Zarathustra" (program notes), Charley Samson, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, 2004, webpage: CSO-AlsoSprach.
  3. ^ "Classic Records Catalog / LSC-1806: Liner Notes" (description), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, R. D. Darrell, Radio Corporation of America (RCA), 1960, webpage: CSO-AlsoSprach.