Program

Johann Strauß: Wiener Blut, op. 354
Richard Strauss: Rosenkavalier Suite, op. 59          
Johann Strauß: Spanischer Marsch, op. 433            
Emmanuel Chabrier: España
Jacques Offenbach: Barcarole aus "Les Contes d'Hoffmann"
Maurice Ravel : La Valse

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Johann Strauss (son): Wiener Blut, Walzer op. 354

The waltz "Wiener Blut" is closely connected with the history of the Vienna Philharmonic, as it was on August 22, 1873, that Johann Strauss, with violin in hand, conducted the Philharmonic in the premiere performance of this composition. The personnel of the Imperial Court Opera was holding a ball as part of the celebrations of the wedding of Her Highness Princess Gisela, the oldest daughter of Austria's Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi"), with Leopold of Bavaria. Since sufficient room was not available at the opera house, the ball took place in the Musikverein instead. A musical program was prepared for this event which featured as its highlight the world premiere of this waltz, which remains to this day one of the most popular compositions in the repertoire of the Strauss family.

Richard Strauss: Rosenkavalier-Suite, o. Op. 145

Richard Strauss' opera "Der Rosenkavalier" received its world premiere in Dresden on     January 26, 1911. In that same year the Adolf Fürstner Publishing House released a suite entitled "Der Rosenkavalier", arranged for various ensembles, which contributed greatly to the ensuing popularity of the opera. Later, after the end of World War II, when Strauss was living in Switzerland and needed to raise his income, he occupied himself with various arrangements of his most successful operas. The "Rosenkavalier Suite," containing all the musical highlights of the opera in one movement, is a product of those endeavours.  The first performance of this work took place in 1946, with Hans Swarovsky conducting the Vienna Symphony in Vienna's Konzerthaus. 

Johann Strauss (son): Spanischer Marsch, op. 433

Johann Strauss composed many marches which he dedicated to various monarchs or famous personalities from public life. The "Spanischer Marsch" was composed in honour of the regent Marie Christine, who was a patron of Viennese Music in Madrid. She invited Johann Strauss to visit Spain, but the long journey would have been too difficult for him. Instead, he sent this composition with its dedication, and was consequently awarded the Spanish Large Cross of the  Order of Isabelle. There is confusion regarding the date of the first performance of this piece. It was described on the program as a new composition when performed under Eduard Strauss at a Strauss concert on October 21, 1888, in the Musikverein.

Emmanuel Chabrier: España

Emmanuel Chabrier composed his orchestral rhapsody "Espana" following a seven month sojourn in Spain in 1883. It became his most popular composition, having been written at the peak of his creativity. Shortly before, Chabrier, who had been educated as a lawyer as well as being a pianist and composer, had resigned from his position at the French Interior Ministry. Chabrier enjoyed the friendship of many other prominent musicians in Paris, including Maurice Ravel, who was greatly inspired by him. However, Chabrier's musical success was not long lasting. In the following years he fell ill, and died in Paris impoverished in 1894, at the age of 53.

Jaques Offenback: Barcarole aus "Hoffmanns Erzählungen"

A "barcarole" (from the Italian word barca meaning boat) was originally a Venetian gondola song in 6/8 or 12/8 time. The melodies of the "barcaroles" suggest the rocking motion of the gondolas in the canals of Venice. One of the most popular barcaroles opens the 4th act of Jacques Offenbach's Fantastic Opera "The Tales of Hoffman", which was premiered in Paris in 1881. The composer took this barcarole from an earlier operatic composition, his opera "Die Reinnixen", which had its German language premiere at the Vienna Court Opera on February 4, 1864.  It was only 22 years previously that members of this orchestra had joined together to form the Vienna Philharmonic.

Maurice Ravel: La Valse, Poème chorèographique

As early as 1906, Marice Ravel had begun to express his admiration for Vienna in a musical composition. With the outbreak of World War I. however, this work, entitled "Wien", was shelved. In 1919, he chose instead to accept a commission from Sergei Diaghilev, the patron and impresario of the legendary Ballet russe. This collaboration came to an abrupt end in March of 1920 , when Diaghilev rejected Ravel's composition stating: "Ravel, this is a masterpiece, but not a ballet." Consequently the concert premiere of the work took place in Paris in 1920. Diaghilev had nevertheless made a misjudgement regarding this composition. In 1951, George Balanchine used it to create a charming choreography for the New York City Ballett, and since that time it has secured for itself a fixed place in the ballet repertoire.

Program notes: Silvia Kargl/Vienna Philharmonic