Flugschriften op. 300 is 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...

 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...

 written in 1865 and first performed on 17 January 1866 at the Habsburg

Habsburg

The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...

 Court Ball in the Rittersaal of the Imperial Hofburg Palace graced by the Emperor Franz Josef

Franz Joseph I of Austria

Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...

 and Empress Elisabeth. The waltz had earlier been intended to be dedicated for the occasion of the annual ball of the 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...

 Authors' and Journalists' Association 'Concordia' ball held at the Sofienbad-saal ballroom on 21 January 1866.

For the Fasching of 1866, Strauss had dedicated three new waltzes and 'Flugschriften' belongs to one of the composer's inspired creations in 3/4 time. The waltz begins with a plaintive Introduction with clarinet

Clarinet

The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

s and oboe

Oboe

The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...

s. As the music progresses, the mood became tense and a short chord interrupts, heralding the graceful 1st waltz section. The plaintive mood was reintroduced in the 2nd waltz section before an exuberant 3rd section. Further melodies are introduced but such were the musical ideas of the work that it would not be triumphant and joyful. The coda

Coda (music)

Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...

 recalls earlier waltz sections, rounded up by the re-entry of the first waltz section and a spirited close with a snare drumroll and regular brass flourish.

The waltz also inspired Antal Doráti

Antal Doráti

Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...

 to include the 2nd waltz section and the coda in his 1940 pastiche ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

'Graduation Ball'.