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Johann Strauss II
Melodien-Quadrille
op. 112 (1852)

This quadrille was arranged from melodies taken from operas by Giuseppe Verdi in the spring of 1852. The original title was Hesperiden-Quadrille, the Hesperides being nymphs in Greek mythology.

The melodies were taken from three of Verdi’s operas which had been performed in Vienna. Their first performances in the city were all at the Imperial-Royal Court Opera Theatre: Ernani (in Italian on 30 May 1844, in German on 30 March 1849), Macbeth (in German on 11 December 1849, in Italian on 21 April 1851) and Rigoletto (in Italian on 12 May 1852).

On 25 May 1852, just two weeks after the Viennese premiere of Rigoletto, it was announced in the Wiener Allgemeine Theaterzeitung that a quadrille arranged by Strauss from melodies from Rigoletto would be performed at the end of May. However, no evidence has been found for the existence or the performance of such a quadrille.

Franz Bachhammer, a musician in the Strauss Orchestra, made a fair copy of the score of the Melodien-Quadrille. Here the title is simply, ‘Quadrille on Italian opera melodies by G. Verdi’. Bachhammer’s copy of the score provided the basis for the printed edition published in Vienna by Carl Haslinger. ‘Ask Strauss for the exact title, since this quadrille was announced with the title “Melodien-Quadrille”,’ the title page of the score states. The work eventually appeared with the title Melodien-Quadrille nach Motiven von G. Verdi.

The first performance was given at a Great Summer Festival with Illuminations and Fireworks, a benefit performance for Johann Strauss II. This took place in the Imperial-Royal Volksgarten establishment in Vienna on 16 July 1852. The Strauss Orchestra played, with Johann Strauss II conducting.

Synopsis: Prof. Norbert Rubey

English translation: Dr. Leigh H. Bailey

Johann Strauss II. Melodies Quadrille op. 112
© by WJSO-Archive

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