Johann Strauss II - Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltz), Op. 437

Strauss often played in the glittering Imperial balls, conducting the orchestra and playing the first violin at the same time.   The majestic launch of this fascinating waltz presents the backdrop of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the hegemony of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph in 1888. Johann Strauss II was Music Director of the Dance Hesperides of the Imperial Court from 1863 to 1872 and composed on occasion for the celebration of an imperial anniversary. The ingenuity of the melody of the Emperor Waltz, which was originally orchestrated for a full orchestra, is such that it was easily adapted for the four or five instruments of a chamber ensemble by the Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg in 1925. This waltz is a tender and somewhat melancholic work, which at times turns its gaze nostalgically to the old Vienna. The waltz praises the majesty and dignity of the old monarch, who was fully devoted to his people. It begins with a majestic, magnificent march, which soon re

Mendelssohn - Introduction


Raised by parents who knew and could appreciate the good and the beautiful and possessed the pretense to properly cultivate them, Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy lived a comfortable and balanced life, which allowed him to serve variously and with dedication the art of music.

The uninterrupted life that ensured him family well-being, as well as the broad education he acquired, helped him to ideally develop his artistic gifts, so that he became one of the most popular composers of his time.

As well as being a great composer, he was an excellent pianist, a good violonist, a wonderful organ player and an inspirational conductor.

There were many happy times for the German musician who saw his music conquer foreign places, while he remained persistently faithful to the musical tradition of his land. Nevertheless, he accepted well-intentioned the beneficial effects of the natural environment which he observed and measured with combinations of his feelings in his numerous journeys and the impact of these images is distinct in his music.

He possessed great insight, envious perception, innate kindness and unparalleled observation. But above all love and faith for mankind and music. Humanity is grateful not only for the personal work he was doing, but because he first recovered from oblivion and restored with respect and modesty the precious musical testimonies of Johann Sebastian Bach.

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