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
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Johannes Brahms - Hungarian Dances No. 18 in D Major - Molto vivace and No. 19 in B minor - Allegretto

Hungarian folk and gypsy dances proved to be a great source of inspiration for Brahms.


Hungarian Dance No. 18 in D Major

The Hungarian Dance No. 18 in D Major - Molto vivace fully responds to Brahms' style. A bright and lively character runs through the whole project.




Dance No. 19 in C Minor

The Dance No. 19 in C Minor - Allegretto is at a slower pace than the previous dance and although it starts in minor, it has overall a light mood with dominant wooden spirits, in the orchestration of Dvořák.



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