Johann Strauss II - Csárdás aus "Die Fledermaus"

On Sunday 19 October 1873, the following notice appeared in the Viennese Fremden-Blatt newspaper:

"Court Boll Music Director Johann Strauss is organising an interesting concert on the 25th of this mouth in the [Golden] Hall of the Musikverein for the benefit of dependents of victims of the [cholera] epidemic in Hungary. The extensive programme will be substantially enriched by the participation of the Wiener Männergesang-Verein [Vienna Men's Choral Association], Fräulein Geistinger and Frau Rosa Csillig [real name: Rosa Goldstein, 1832-92]. Under the personal direction of the composer Johann Strauss, the Wiener Männergesang-Verein will perform his brilliant waltz 'Bei und z'Haus'. Fräulein Geistinger will perform a newly composed csárdás by Strauss and Frau Csillig several vocal pieces. Naturally the programme also includes the latest and most popular melodies by the Waltz King."

Under the patronage of Countess Kathinka Andrássy (1830-96), wife of the Hungarian statesman count Gyula Andrássy (1823-90), the "Extraordinary Vocal and Instrumental Concert" duly took place on the evening of Saturday 25 October 1873 - Strauss's 48th birthday. In place of the Strauss Orchestra, Johann conducted the German-based orchestra of Julius Langenbach (1823-86), which had been engaged to perform at the 1873 Vienna World Exhibition as the official 'World Exhibition Orchestra¡¦. The printed programme listed eleven items, including music by Weber (Overture to Oberon), Berlioz (Danse des Sylphes from La Damnation de Faust), Verdi (Bolero from Les Vêpres siciliennes) and Johann Herbeck (Mercenaries' Chorus), as well as Strauss's own waltz Wiener Blut (op. 373, 1873) and his evergreen collaboration with his brother Josef, the Pizzicato-Polka (o.op., 1869). The seventh item on the programme promised a complete novelty, being announced (in translation) as: "Csárdás for Voice (for the first lime) by Johann Strauss (Marie Geistinger)". The text for this 'vocal csárdás' was the work of the versatile Richard Genée (1823-95), resident conductor at the Theater an der Wien, where the soprano Marie Geistinger (1836-1903) was a co-director.

The Graz-born diva's performance of 5trauss's new csardas seems to have excited no particular attention among the journalists attending the charity concert, for their reports merely mention the piece Five days later, however, the Fremdell-Blatt (30101873) carried the following announcement:

"Court Ball Music Director Johann Strauss is currently composing a new operetta for the Theater an der Wien, which is to be performed there during the course of the month of January [1874]. The csárdás recently presented by Fräulein Geistinger in the Hall of the Musikverein comes from this new operetta".

As indicated by the newspaper, this 'vocal csárdás' was to feature prominently in Act 2 of the new operetta, Die Fledermaus, sung by Marie Geistinger in the rôle of Rosalinde, disguised as an Hungarian countess. This vocally-taxing number has remained a staple of soprano repertoire.

Johann Strauss left it to his brother Eduard (1835-1916) to conduct the first performance of the Csárdás für Orchester, when the latter included it in his Sunday afternoon promenade concert with the Strauss Orchestra in the Musikverein on 25 October 1874 - one year to the day after his brother Johann had first conducted the vocal version of the work in the same establishment.

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