Concert in Luzern

Johann Strauss II
The Blue Danube / Waltz
op. 314 (1867)

What prompted Johann Strauss to choose ‘By the beautiful, blue Danube‘ as the title of his composition? Was it the regulation of the river Danube that was being planned at the time? Or the poems by Karl Beck in which the phrase appears? Had Strauss been planning a waltz with such a title for some time, or did this thought not come to him until he was reminded by the Vienna Men’s Choral Society of the promise he had once made to compose a work dedicated to them?

Be that as it may, The Blue Danube is, apart from a student exercise, Strauss’s first composition for voices. Did he draw on the advice and support of the choirmaster of the Society, Rudolf Weinwurm, when it came to the vocal parts? There is a great deal that we do not know. On the other hand it has been definitively established that the first performance was given on 15 February 1867, with Weinwurm conducting, at an ‘Evening of Songs for Carnival‘ held in the hall of the Dianabad establishment in Vienna, and that, despite later commentaries to the contrary, the waltz received glowing reviews. The orchestral version of The Blue Danube was first heard at the Carnival Review concert at the Volksgarten establishment on 10 March 1867, with the composer conducting in person. The first edition for piano had already been published on the day of the first performance, which was rather unusual practice at that time. The demand for the waltz must have been enormous, because it is more or less impossible to say just how many times it was reprinted by C.A. Spina, the original publisher, within a very short time. Foreign editions, arrangements for all widely played instruments and combinations of them, highly virtuoso paraphrases, and passages from the waltz quoted in the works of other composers and those of Strauss himself: these all bear witness to the enormous popularity of The Blue Danube.

Moreover, Eduard Hanslick, the high priest of critics, attested the work a ‘quite remarkable significance […] the significance of a quotation, of a phrase summing up everything there is in Vienna that is beautiful, lovable and gay. […] Alongside the national anthem composed by Papa Haydn, which celebrates the emperor and the imperial family, we have in Strauss’s Blue Danube a second national anthem which sings of our country and people.’

Synopsis: Dr. Thomas Aigner

Translation: Dr. Leigh H. Bailey

Johann Strauss (Sohn) : An der schönen blauen Donau / Walzer op. 314
© by «Kulturverein Wiener Blut»

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Sunday, 24. January 202718.00 o' clock
Luzern / Kultur- und Kongresszentrum (KKL)

Concert in Luzern

Alfred Eschwé conductor

Program
Johann Strauss II : Overture to «A Night in Venice»
Josef Strauss : Moulinet Polka / Polka française op. 57
Josef Strauss : Vélocipède / Quick polka op. 259
Johann Strauss II : Du und Du, Walzer nach Motiven aus der Operette «Die Fledermaus» op. 367
Johann Strauss II : «Trinke, Liebchen, trinke schnell», Duett aus der Operette «Die Fledermaus»
Johann Strauss II : Tick Tock / Quick polka op. 365
Johann Strauss II : «Klänge der Heimat», Csardas der Rosalinde aus «Die Fledermaus»
Break Johann Strauss II : Ouverture zu «Prinz Methusalem»
Josef Strauss : Music of the Spheres / Waltz op. 235
Franz Lehár : «Einer wird kommen», Lied der Sonja aus der Operette «Der Zarewitsch»
Franz Lehár : «Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand» Wolgalied aus der Operette «Der Zarewitsch»
Franz Lehár : Ballettmusik aus der Operette «Der Zarewitsch»
Franz Lehár : «Hab nur dich allein» aus der Operette «Der Zarewitsch»
Johann Strauss II : The Blue Danube / Waltz op. 314

Anmerkung: Die Solisten, sowie das Programm werden zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt bekannt gegeben!

NEUJAHRSKONZERT 2027 IM KKL LUZERN MIT DEM ORIGINAL WIENER JOHANN STRAUSS ORCHESTER
Begrüssen Sie mit Schwung und Lebensfreude das kommende neue Jahr! Das Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester entführt Sie zum Jahresauftakt in die bezaubernde Welt der Wiener Operette. Mit der festlichen Eleganz prächtiger Walzer, der schwungvollen Leichtigkeit fröhlicher Melodien und leidenschaftlichen Arien über Liebe, Sehnsucht und Freude erleben Sie die Höhepunkte der Wiener Musikkultur beim traditionellen Galakonzert zum Neujahr im KKL Luzern. Schwungvoll, elegant, humorvoll und voller Herzlichkeit ist dieser einzigartige Konzertabend ein festlicher Auftakt ins neue Jahr und eine Einladung, mit positiver Energie und Freude in die Zukunft zu blicken. Lassen Sie sich von unvergänglichen Melodien, ausgelassenen Tänzen und mitreissenden Polkas verzaubern und geniessen Sie einen Abend voller musikalischer Höhepunkte aus der Wiener Tradition.

KONZERTDAUER: CA. 135 MINUTEN (INKL. PAUSE)

Alfred Eschwé
© by WJSO.at / Kurt Pinter

Alfred Eschwé
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