Strauss's A Hero's Life

Critics originally made fun of composer Richard Strauss for making himself the hero of Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Life"), a piece they called "a monstrous act of egotism." But the piece has stood the test of time. Tonight at 7:30 at Severance Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra will perform the composition along with selections from Schubert and Webern. Rose Breckenridge, a lecturer and administrator for the Cleveland Orchestra Music Study Groups, gives the pre-concert talk that takes place an hour before the concert. Consult the orchestra website for more information, including ticket prices. (Niesel)