Viennese Waltzes

About the composer(s):

The Strauss family dynasty defined the sound of 19th-century Viennese light music, transforming the waltz from a rustic dance to the glittering soundtrack of an empire. The founding father, Johann Strauss I (1804-1849), rose from tavern musician to celebrated composer and conductor, famous for his Radetzky March. Yet, a fierce rivalry defined the era: his sons, defying his wishes for bourgeois careers, formed their own orchestra.

The eldest, Johann Strauss II (1825-1899), surpassed his father to become the undisputed "Waltz King." His timeless, melodious works—The Blue Danube, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Die Fledermaus—captured the spirit of Habsburg Vienna, cementing the waltz as a classical form. His brothers, Josef (1827-1870) and Eduard (1835-1916), were also gifted composers and conductors, with Josef's more introspective works considered particularly refined. Together, they conducted a vast musical empire, their name synonymous with the joy, elegance, and sometimes melancholy, of a bygone Viennese age.

Original Manuscript of The Blue Danube

Artistic Director's Notes

Almost all of the music of the second half of this concert is Dance music. In the Classical music world that can mean several things. We have some pieces from the Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker, which is a ballet - i.e. music to which an audience listens whilst people are dancing on stage. The Polka from Smetana's The Bartered Bride, is not from a ballet, but from an Opera where the cast dances. Again, the audience listens and watches others dance.

However, the opening piece (it's full English title is By the Beautiful Blue Danube) and the Pizzicato Polka (so named as the strings play pizzicato [plucked strings] throughout the piece) were originally music for people to dance to, not music to "just" listen to. These pieces were written for, usually, court balls or other major parties, where people were expected to talk, eat and drink, and most importantly, dance with other guests. The Waltz of the time (the so called "Classical Viennese Waltz") had formal dance steps and requirements that the audience were expected to know and to join in. This makes this music, at least for the musicians, somewhat long with each section of the dance repeated. We have decided to do these peices in full, to give the audience an idea of the length of the works as originally envisioned, and perhaps to let them imagine themselves attending one of these opulent occasions. I will also point out that there are short interludes within the waltzes - these are to allow a change of partner, very much like some of the formalized progressive dances in the 20th Century.