Festkonzert in Grafenegg

Josef Strauss
Mysterious Powers of Attraction (Dynamiden) / Waltz
op. 173 (1865)

For the ball of the association of Industrial Companies held on 30 January 1865 in the Redoutensäle rooms in the Hofburg, the imperial palace in Vienna, Josef Strauss composed a waltz to which he gave the title Dynamiden. This is a term coined in 1857 by Ferdinand Jacob Redtenbacher, the founder of the science of mechanical engineering, and by it he meant the basis for the molecular forces which are responsible for keeping together and attracting substances. It is worth mentioning that Josef Strauss was himself a qualified engineer — and also that the reports of the ball that appeared in newspapers made no mention whatsoever of his name.

In fact the Wiener Zeitung even claimed to know that it was Johann Strauss who had conducted the waltz. On the other hand they all agreed that the new waltz had been very well received, although it is not known whether the symphonic introduction, a musical gem, was played then or not until the first concert performance of the work, given at the Volksgarten establishment in Vienna on 5 March 1865. This was the concert at which the three Strauss brothers played all the new dances they had composed for the Carnival season which had just ended.

In the announcements for the concert a phrase in brackets was added to the title, giving a more generally comprehensible and more poetic explanation as well as a perfect characterisation of that introduction: Mysterious Powers of Attraction. In the printed edition of the piano arrangement this finally became the new main title of the work, with the opus number 173.

Someone who was evidently attracted to the work was Richard Strauss (no relation of the Viennese Strausses). He quotes the opening waltz theme with only minor alterations in his opera Der Rosenkavalier. It is not known whether he did so consciously or unconsciously; however, the great similarity makes it virtually impossible to believe this happened by chance.

Synopsis: Dr. Thomas Aigner

Translation: Dr. Leigh H. Bailey

Josef Strauss: Mysterious Powers of Attraction (Dynamiden) / Waltz op. 173 (1865)
© by WienBibliothek im Rathaus (2021)

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Sunday, 12. September 202111.00 o' clock
Grafenegg / Wolkenturm

Festkonzert in Grafenegg

Alfred Eschwé conductor
Barbara Laister-Ebner Zither soloist

Program
Johann Strauss II : Ouverture to «Die Fledermaus»
Josef Strauss : Artists's Greeting / Polka française op. 274
Josef Strauss : Carriére / polka fast op. 200
Josef Strauss : Mysterious Powers of Attraction (Dynamiden) / Waltz op. 173
Josef Strauss : The Dragonfly / Polka mazurka op. 204
Josef Strauss : In a Flash / Quick polka op. 230
Joseph Lanner : Hofball-Tänze / Walzer op. 161
Break Johann Strauss II : Overture to the Operetta «Indigo and the Forty Thieves»
Johann Strauss II : Tales from the Vienna Woods / Waltz op. 325
Josef Strauss : Eingesendet / Polka schnell op. 240
Johann Strauss II : Peasants Polka / Polka française op. 276
Johann Strauss II : Orpheus Quadrille op. 236
Johann Strauss II : Let’ s Away! / Quick polka op. 383
Johann Strauss II : Emperor Waltz op. 437

WICHTIGE INFORMATION ZUM HEUTIGEN KONZERT!

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren!

Sehr geehrte Besucher und Freunde!

Es freut uns Ihnen mitteilen zu dürfen, dass wir das heutige "Festkonzert in Grafenegg" wie geplant im Wolkenturm für Sie spielen dürfen. Bitte beachten Sie die Hygienemaßnahmen der Veranstaltungsstätte, sowie die allgemeinen Abstands- und Sicherheitsregeln.

Das Konzert findet mit einer Pause statt und endet gegen ca. 13:15 Uhr. Wir wünschen Ihnen ein großartiges Konzert-Erlebnis und hoffen, Sie bald wieder bei einem unserer nächsten Konzerte begrüßen zu dürfen!