"Klänge aus der Raimundzeit. Musical Prelude on themes by Drechsler, Kreutzer, Lanner, Wenzei Müller and Johann Strauss Father, compiled by Johann Strauss. Performed under the direction of the composer in the Deutsches Volkstheater on 31 May 1898 at the Raimund Festival, organised by the Memorial Committee on the occasion of the unveiling of the Raimund Memorial".
This handwritten information detailed accurately the occasion for which Johann Strauss compiled his quodlibet on melodies from his youth, Klänge aus der Raimundzeit. The festival performance in the Deutsches Volkstheater preceded the unveiling of Franz Vogl's memorial to the great Austrian dramatist, poet and actor, Ferdinand Raimund (1790-1836), on 1 June 1898. The first piano edition of Strauss's work, published in 1898 by Albert Jungmann & C. Lerch, presents a photograph of the monument in front of the theatre, close to Vienna's Weghuber Park. Strauss's potpourri served as a curtain raiser for the evening's programme and preceded Carl Karlweis's one-act biographical play, In Gutenstein, in which Alexander Girardi took the rôle of Ferdinand Raimund.
The day before the première, 30 May 1898, Johann wrote in a letter to his brother Eduard: "Klänge aus der Raimundzeit, which little prelude will be performed tomorrow - I shall have copied for you immediately afterwards. The little thing is written for small orchestra, that is 1 flute, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets and [string] quartet". For the 72-year-old Strauss, however, the performance of his "little thing" actually proved to be something of a trial in the half-light of the small orchestra pit, it was only with the greatest difficulty that he found his way to the rostrum. Once there, however, he conducted - as the Fremden-Blatt (10.6.1898) noted - "with his famous old verve. How delightful and warm and melancholy, and then again cheerful, sounded these old tunes by Kreuzer, Lanner, Father Strauss and dear, good, simple Wenzel Müller, the Mozart of the couplet [in the days] of bastion-encircled Vienna!". In spite of the audience being tangibly moved by the ageing maestro's musical reminiscences, the performance was greeted by tumultuous applause. The public's acclaim for the work proved even greater when Johann conducted it, under the amended title of Aus der Raimundzeit (From the days of Raimund), at his brother Eduard's afternoon benefit concert with the Strauss Orchestra in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein on Sunday 27 November 1898. This time the Fremden-Blatt spoke of "an enchanting offering, which brought to life Old Vienna with all its comforting charms and advantages"
The sequence of music which Johann Strauss chose for Klänge aus der Raimundzeit is presented as follows:
Introduction - "Brüderlein fein", the Farewell to Youth from the magic play Das Mädchen aus der Feenwelt oder Der Bauer als Milllonär. Music by Strauss's own teacher, Joseph Drechler. Première: Theater in der Leopoldstadt, 10 November 1826.
Joseph Lanner: Steyrische Tänze op. 165 (1841)
"So leb' denn wohl, du stilles Haus", Departure from the charcoal-burner's hut from Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind. Music by Wenzel Müller Première: Theater in der Leopoldstadt, 17 October 1828.
Johann Strauss Father: Das Leben ein Tanz, oder Der Tanz ein Leben! Walzer op. 49 (1831)
Joseph Lanner: Die Schönbrunner, Walzer op. 200 (1842)
Valentin's "Hobellied" (Planing Song) from Der Verschwender. Music by Conradin Kreutzer. Première: Theater in der Josefstadt, 20 February 1834.
Johann Strauss Father: Deutsche Lust, oder Donau-Lieder ohne Text, Walzer op. 127 (1841).
The closing section of Klänge aus der Raimundzeit comprises an interweaving of the two 'farewell' themes, "Brüderlein fein" (Fine little brother) and "So leb' denn wohl, du stilles Haus" (So farewell, thou quiet house).
Considering the prominence Strauss gave to the 'farewell' themes in this late work, it is very tempting to suggest that in spring 1898 he perhaps already suspected that he, too, would soon bid farewell to the world.
As her husband lay dying from pneumonia a year later, Adèle Strauss later recalled: "On 1 June [1899] poor Jean [Johann], in a delirious slate, called incessantly for me and my daughter, when we were both actually sitting by his bed of suffering. And when the invalid recognised us, a weary smile passed over the pallid face, his eyes - of other times so bright - looked dull and melancholy, and from his chest, which was fighting for breath, a faint, heart-rending song struggled forth! An old song, well known to both me and my child, but I had never heard it from him before. Now it sounded forth from his pale lips, solemnly, floating in ghostly fashion around the room: 'Brüderlein fein - einmal muss geschieden sein!"' (Fine little brother, one day there must be a parting!).
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Johann Strauss II - Heimaths-Kinder - Walzer, op. 85by Fledermaus1990369 views
thank so much for the information i've been looking for for years.
ClassicHolic 8 months ago
@ClassicHolic Your welcome! I'm glad you liked my video, I uploaded it because today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Strauss.
Fledermaus1990 8 months ago