Johann Strauss II - Adelen-Walzer, op. 424

Johann Strauss and his second wife, Angelika (née Dittrich), were granted a divorce by consent on 9 December 1882, following Lili's infidelity with the director of the Theater an der Wien, Franz Steiner. So ended months of anguish for the 57-year-old composer. For consolation he had earlier that year turned to a young widow, Adèle Strauss (1856-1930), who had known Johann's family for many years. Not until 15 August 1887, however, were the couple able to marry, the numerous obstacles to their union having finally been overcome. Adèle transferred from the Jewish faith to Protestantism, while Johann, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, became a Lutheran Protestant and renounced his Austrian citizenship for that of the German dukedom of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in which city the couple were married.

On 10 January 1884 the first soirée of the 'Wiener Kunstfreunde. (Vienna Friends of Art) was held in the Musikverein. Johann himself did not come empty-handed, and presented each guest with a unique gift. Entitled '1884', it was a decorated page reproducing a facsimile of a waltz theme in Strauss's hand, signed by the composer and prefixed by the verse: "Horcht und nehmet mit nach Haus/Ein frisches Sträusschen von Johann Strauss" (Hark, and take back to your house/A fresh bouquet from Johann Strauss). Shortly after midnight this brief waltz passage was performed by the Strauss Orchestra, under the title Walzer 1884.

More than two years were to elapse before this capricious melody was to emerge, fully developed, as the opening theme of Johann's Adelen-Walzer. The composer himself conducted the 80-man orchestra of the Imperial Russian Opera in the first performance of the new work on 28 April 1886 (= 16 April, Russian calendar) in the riding arena of the Horse Guards Regiment in St. Petersburg, to which city Strauss and his wife-to-be, Adèle, had been invited by 'The Russian Red Cross Society' and a local children's foundation. Viennese audiences first heard the Adelen-Walzer when Johann conducted it at his brother Eduard's benefit concert in the Musikverein on 7 November 1886.

Photo: Johann Strauss II with his third wife Adele Deutsch.

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Music

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• Adelen-Walzer
• Waltz
• classical music
• Classical
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• Neujahrskonzert
• op.
• 424