八王子のコンサート

ヨハン･シュトラウス2世
ポルカ「雷鳴と電光」
op. 324 (1868)

‘Dear Sirs / Herewith I have the honour to submit to the esteemed committee the title “Shooting Star” for a composition – to be precise a quick polka – for the Hesperus Ball.’ This brief announcement was sent by Jetty Strauss to Hesperus, an association of actors and musicians, and the letter was signed ‘Yours faithfully’ by her husband Johann. The date for the Hesperus Ball had already been advertised as 16 February in the Wiener Zeitung, a Vienna daily, on 10 January 1868. Jetty’s letter is undated.

Hesperos – the evening star of Greek mythology – is the planet Venus, seen sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the early morning (Hesperus had a sister society named Aurora). So how did the polka get the title “Shooting Star”? On the evening of 30 January 1868 a meteor was observed in towns to the north of Vienna. It must have been an impressive event, as from 1 February it was reported in many newspapers, both in Austria and abroad, ‘The phenomenon, a ball of blue flame […] disappeared with a crash like thunder’ (Neue Freie Presse, 1 February); ‘The luminous phenomenon was one of splendour and magnificence […] a meteor moving slowly forward in an easterly direction […] The speed of the luminous body increased unusually rapidly and with it the phenomenon grew bigger […] almost the diameter of the sun […].’ (Neue Freie Presse, 3 February).

This means that Jetty’s letter was written at the beginning of February 1868, not earlier, but not later either, because from 6 February there were already announcements that Johann Strauss was preparing a quick polka with the title “Shooting Star” for the Hesperus Ball. He thus had ten days to complete a composition which is orchestrated so as illustrate in music dazzling flashes of light and thunder.

Johann Strauss II. Thunder and Lightning op. 324
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金曜日, 1月 12 201819.00 Uhr
東京 ⁄ オリンパスホール八王子（八王子市民会館）

八王子のコンサート
35日本ツアー

ヨハネス･ヴィルトナー 指揮者

Programm
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : 喜歌劇「こうもり」序曲
ヨーゼフシュトラウス : ポルカ・シュネル『前へ!』 op. 127
ヨーゼフシュトラウス : ワルツ『天体の音楽 op. 235
ヨーゼフシュトラウス : ポルカ・マズルカ『遠方から』 op. 270
エドゥアルド･シュトラウス1世 : ポルカ・シュネル『テープは切られた』 op. 45
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : ワルツ『ウィーンの森の物語』 op. 325
Pause フランツフォン・スッペ : 序曲 «山賊の仕業»
フランツ･レハール : 『金と銀』 op. 79
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : トリッチ・トラッチ・ポルカ op. 214
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : メロディーエン・カドリーユ op. 112
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : ポルカ「クラップフェンの森で」 op. 336
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : ポルカ「雷鳴と電光」 op. 324
ヨハン･シュトラウス2世 : ワルツ「美しく青きドナウ op. 314

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