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"The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen, blauen Donau", Op. 314, a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 February 1867 at a concert of the Wiener Männergesangsverein, it has been one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire. Its initial performance was considered only a mild success, however, and Strauss is reputed to have said, "The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had been a success!"
Wiener Bonbons op. 307 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II written in 1866. It was first performed on 28 January 1866 at the ball of the Association of Industrial Societies held in the Redoutensaal and was dedicated to the influential Princess Pauline Metternich-Winneburg the wife of then Austrian ambassador to Paris.
Man lebt nur einmal! is a waltz by Johann Strauss II written in 1855. The piece was marked as im Ländlerstyle which in other words means "in the same style as the Ländler", which is an Austrian folk dance. The title was a quotation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1774 play Clavigo, but it raised a few eyebrows at that time as Vienna was just recovering from a disastrous cholera epidemic and many of the stricken populace may have been superstitious of such a title. Nonetheless, Strauss performed it at the Sperl Ballroom to great acclaim and this waltz has endured lasting appeal even in a simple string arrangement for a quintet consisting of two violins, one viola, one cello, and a double bass.
"Die Publicisten" is a waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1868. It was written for the sixth Concordia Ball held in the Sofienbad-Saal on the 4 February of the same year. The waltz's title was an allusion to Vienna's press, with whom he maintained a fruitful partnership that his family had enjoyed since the days of his father Johann Strauss I. The more or less symbiotic association was needed as the musical business of composers would inevitably flourish under favorable press reviews and the establishment of the Vienna Journalists' and Authors' Association in 1859 would signify an even more closer relationship between both composer and the press. The Concordia Ball named after the Roman God of civic concord had its first ball in 1863.
Rathausball-Tänze op. 438 is a waltz by composer Johann Strauss II written in 1890 in honour of the inauguration of the new city hall of Vienna. At the opening of the new banqueting hall (Festsaal) on 12 February 1890 two rival orchestras were commissioned to provide dance music for the occasion; the Strauss Orchestra under the direction of Eduard Strauss, and that of rival Kapellmeister Karl Michael Ziehrer who was head of the Vienna House Regiment 'Hoch und Deutschmeister No. 4'.
Cagliostro-Walzer op.370 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1875 based on themes from his operetta, Cagliostro in Wien which premiered on 27 February 1875 at the famous Theater an der Wien.
Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388, is a waltz medley composed by Johann Strauss II in 1880 with its themes drawn from the operetta Das Spitzentuch der Königin inspired by a novel by Heinrich Bohrmann-Riegen.
Künstlerleben, Op. 316 is a waltz written by Johann Strauss II in 1867, following closely on the success of the popular "The Blue Danube". Austria was severely shaken the previous year 1866 by the crushing defeat that the Austrian army suffered in the Battle of Königgrätz and many of the year's festivities and balls were cancelled as the prevalent depressing mood affected most of Vienna's populace.
Immer heiterer op. 235 is a waltz written by Johann Strauss II in 1860 for the Vienna Carnival Fasching. The waltz was marked as "im ländlerstil" which meant that it was to be performed in the same style as the ländler.
Feenmärchen (Fairy-tales) waltz op. 312 is composed by Johann Strauss II in 1866. The same year had witnessed the glaring military weakness of the ailing Habsburg dynasty after a bitter defeat to the hands of the Prussian army at the fateful Battle of Königgrätz. Almost immediately, various Vienna's establishments usually packed with music-lovers dancing the night away took the news with foreboding and many of the year's festivities were cancelled or with-held.
Morgenblätter op. 279 is a Viennese Waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1863. The work's genesis was attributed to the composition of another waltz by Jacques Offenbach later titled 'Abendblätter' when the French opera composer dedicated his work to the influential Vienna Authors' and Journalists' Association ('Concordia'). The Association had earlier intended the 'Abendblätter' waltz to be played at their 'Concordia Ball' on 12 January 1864.
Wiener Blut Op. 354 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II first performed by the composer on 22 April 1873. The new dedication waltz was to celebrate the wedding of the Emperor Franz Joseph I's daughter Archduchess Gisela Louise Maria and Prince Leopold of Bavaria. However, the waltz was also chiefly noted by Strauss' biographers as the début of Strauss with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra where for many years, the Philharmonic had dismissed any association with the 'Waltz King' as it had not wished to be associated with mere 'light' or 'pops' music. The festival ball celebrating the event was held at the Musikverein Hall which is the venue for the present day Neujahrskonzert.
Ein Herz, ein Sinn! , opus 323 is a polka-mazurka composed by Johann Strauss II in 1868 belonging to a period of creativity of the composer. Strauss dedicated this piece to 'the Committee of the Citizen's Ball' which was held at the Imperial Redoutensaal on 11 February 1868 where on occasion he had earlier also dedicated his waltz Bürgersinn.
Karnevalsbotschafter op. 270 is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in the autumn of 1862. Incidentally, it was also written during Strauss' honeymoon with his first wife Henrietta Treffz in Venice. It was first performed at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Vienna's Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at the 'Sperl' dance hall on 11 November 1862 and also at a soirée there on 22 November. The title may be alluded to Strauss himself, as a 'carnival ambassador' to Venice having accomplished the year's Fasching festivity commitments in Vienna. Unsurprisingly for him in Venice, although his wife had intended the honeymoon as a complete rest for him, he found himself duly inspired to pen this lovely waltz in a period of great personal happiness.
"Frühlingsstimmen", Op. 410 is an orchestral waltz, with optional solo soprano voice, written in 1882 by Johann Strauss II.
Schatz-Walzer op. 418 is a Viennese Waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1885. The melodies from this waltz were drawn from Strauss' operetta Der Zigeunerbaron which premiered to critical acclaim on 24 October 1885.
Studentenlust op. 285 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1864. The waltz was written as a dedication piece for the Students' Ball held in the Redoutensaal of the Imperial Hofburg Palace on 31 January of that year.
Illustrationen (Illustrations) op. 331 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1869. It was appropriately titled for the annual ball of the Vienna Journalists' and Authors' Association ('Concordia') that was held in the Sofienbad Saal on 26 January the same year.
Leitartikel op. 273 is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1863 and first performed at the Vienna's Artists and Journalists' Association ball called 'Concordia', which glorifies the Roman goddess of civic harmony, on 19 January 1863. Theoretically, this work would have been Strauss' only contribution towards the festivity of Vienna's Fasching of that year as his health did not permit laborious hours of conducting nor of composing.
"Tales from the Vienna Woods" is a waltz by Johann Strauss II.
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Based on original text by Peter Kemp, The Johann Strauss Society of Great Britain. Used with permission.
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