Abschied von St. Petersburg
Encyclopedia
Abschied von St. Petersburg (Farewell to St. Petersburg), opus
210, is the name of a waltz
composed by Johann Strauss II
. The work was first performed at a benefit concert in Pavlovsk on September 5, 1858, as part of a tour of Russia
that Strauss was conducting. In keeping with the vogue then current in Russia for the French language
, the work was entitled as Mes adieux a St. Petersbourgh (My Farewell to St. Petersburg). Less than a week after his return to his home city of Vienna
, Strauss conducted the first Viennese performance of the work at the Vienna Volksgarten
.
A critic for the Wiener Allgemeine Theaterzeitung commented on Strauss' waltz: "The waltz Abschied von St. Petersburg distinguishes itself among the newly performed compositions by its alluring themes and interesting instrumentation; the composition has a predominantly serious Slavic character [...] Strauss was accorded extraordinary amounts of applause and had to repeat each new composition two or three times." However, despite the public and critical acclaim for the composition, Abschied von St. Petersburg did not remain long in the Strauss Orchestra's repertoire, and it is not very well known nowadays.
In keeping with the work's title, the waltz has a rather mournful quality about it: the composition begins with a passage for solo cello, which soon gives way to the melancholic opening waltz theme, a mood that is enhanced by the use of counter-melodies in the cello line. The composition does not end with a drumroll or flourish, as most of Strauss' other waltzes do, but instead fades away into the distance with a trumpet call, probably meant to symbolise the composer's carriage as it drives him away from Pavlovsk and St. Petersburg.
Abschied von St. Petersburg rendered its name to a 1971 Soviet film by Yan Frid about the composer's affair with Olga Smirnitskaya in the summer of 1857.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
210, is the name of a waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
composed by Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
. The work was first performed at a benefit concert in Pavlovsk on September 5, 1858, as part of a tour of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
that Strauss was conducting. In keeping with the vogue then current in Russia for the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, the work was entitled as Mes adieux a St. Petersbourgh (My Farewell to St. Petersburg). Less than a week after his return to his home city of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Strauss conducted the first Viennese performance of the work at the Vienna Volksgarten
Volksgarten (Vienna)
The Volksgarten is a public parc in the Innere Stadt, the First District of Vienna and part of the Hofburg.It was built over the city fortifications destroyed by Napoleon...
.
A critic for the Wiener Allgemeine Theaterzeitung commented on Strauss' waltz: "The waltz Abschied von St. Petersburg distinguishes itself among the newly performed compositions by its alluring themes and interesting instrumentation; the composition has a predominantly serious Slavic character [...] Strauss was accorded extraordinary amounts of applause and had to repeat each new composition two or three times." However, despite the public and critical acclaim for the composition, Abschied von St. Petersburg did not remain long in the Strauss Orchestra's repertoire, and it is not very well known nowadays.
In keeping with the work's title, the waltz has a rather mournful quality about it: the composition begins with a passage for solo cello, which soon gives way to the melancholic opening waltz theme, a mood that is enhanced by the use of counter-melodies in the cello line. The composition does not end with a drumroll or flourish, as most of Strauss' other waltzes do, but instead fades away into the distance with a trumpet call, probably meant to symbolise the composer's carriage as it drives him away from Pavlovsk and St. Petersburg.
Abschied von St. Petersburg rendered its name to a 1971 Soviet film by Yan Frid about the composer's affair with Olga Smirnitskaya in the summer of 1857.