Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
Encyclopedia
Tales from the Vienna Woods refers to several landmark works in Germanophone
culture, including:
Although Strauss originally used the contracted spelling G'schichten for his waltz, the name is also commonly cited as Geschichten, which is also the version by which the subsequent dramas have been known.
, G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, op.
325 was one of six Viennese waltz
es by Johann Strauss II which featured a virtuoso part for zither
. The waltz's premiere that year reiterated the ascendancy that the dance had made from its humble village origins to become one of the pleasures of fashionable Viennese society, largely thanks to the performing and composing talents of the Strauss dynasty. Nevertheless, the title of Strauss' dance recalls the folk music of the inhabitants of the Vienna Woods
.
The waltz's introduction
, which is one of the longest he ever wrote for a waltz (at 119 bars in reference to the actual musical score) of which the first part of the Introduction starts off in C major
, intertwining with F major
before gaining ascendancy in volume and mood, finishing with a 'lunga' direction. The second part, which is the more reflective, is in the key of G major
with a solo violin
incorporating bits of material which would crop up in successive waltz sections. A short flute
cadenza
invoking birdsong comes in which moves on to the zither solo, marked 'moderato'. The zither part involves two sub-sections of its own; the slowish ländler
tempo and its more vigorous counterpart, with the direction of 'vivace' (quickly). Loud orchestral chords brings the waltz back to reality, and the familiar waltz theme in F major is played.
Waltz 2A and 2B is in B-flat major whereas Waltz 3A is in the key of E-flat major with a quick section in B flat in Waltz 3B. The entire waltz section 4 is in B flat as well whereas waltz section 5 is wholly in the E flat key. Waltz 5B contains the customary climax with cymbal
s and is loudly played. After a brief and tense coda
, Waltz 1A makes a re-entry. As the waltz ushers closer to its end, the zither solo makes another appearance, reprising its earlier melody in the Introduction. A crescendo in the final bars dispels the tranquility and the waltz is concluded with a brass flourish and snare drumroll.
wrote a play of almost the same name (Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald) in 1931
, for which he was honored with the prestigious Kleist Prize
that year. This Volksstück (popular play) was based in the contemporary setting of Wachau
, Josefstadt
, and the Vienna Woods just before the Austrofascist
takeover. It tells the fate of a naive young woman named Marianne, who breaks off her reluctant engagement with Oskar the butcher after falling in love with a fop named Alfred who, however, has no serious interest in returning her love. For this error, she must pay bitterly. Werner Pirchner
composed the incidental music
to the play.
tic release in 1961
by director Erich Neuberg, starring Johanna Matz
(Marianne), Walter Kohut
(Alfred), Helmuth Lohner
, Hans Moser
(reprising his role of Marianne's father from the 1931 Berlin
premiere), Helmut Qualtinger
(Oskar) and Jane Tilden (Valerie), among others.} Another version was made for television in 1964.
A 1979
remake was undertaken by director Maximilian Schell
, this time featuring Birgit Doll (Marianne), Hanno Pöschl
(Alfred), Helmut Qualtinger
(Zauberkönig), Jane Tilden (Valerie), Adrienne Gessner (Alfreds Großmutter), Götz Kauffmann (Oskar), André Heller
(Hierlinger) and Robert Meyer (Erich).
An unusual adaptation of the waltz appears in the first half of Bob Clampett
's 1943
cartoon
A Corny Concerto
. Set to the tune of the waltz, Porky Pig
and his dog
are "...hunting that (censored word) rabbit." The rabbit
of course is none other than Bugs Bunny
, who proceeds to play a series of tricks on the aforementioned characters. The second half of the cartoon focuses on The Blue Danube
, another famous piece of music by Strauss. The cartoon was incorporated into the 1975
documentary
Bugs Bunny: Superstar
.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
culture, including:
- a waltzWaltzThe 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 IIJohann Strauss IIJohann 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...
; - a playPlay (theatre)A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Ödön von HorváthÖdön von HorváthEdmund Josef von Horváth was a German-writing Austro-Hungarian-born playwright and novelist...
; and - several filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
adaptations of the play.
Although Strauss originally used the contracted spelling G'schichten for his waltz, the name is also commonly cited as Geschichten, which is also the version by which the subsequent dramas have been known.
Waltz
Composed in 18681868 in music
-Events:* Modest Mussorgsky begins work on Boris Godunov, which is completed six years later.* Johannes Brahms completes his work for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Ein deutsches Requiem .* February 3 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No...
, G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, op.
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...
325 was one of six Viennese waltz
Viennese Waltz
Viennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called...
es by Johann Strauss II which featured a virtuoso part for zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
. The waltz's premiere that year reiterated the ascendancy that the dance had made from its humble village origins to become one of the pleasures of fashionable Viennese society, largely thanks to the performing and composing talents of the Strauss dynasty. Nevertheless, the title of Strauss' dance recalls the folk music of the inhabitants of the Vienna Woods
Wienerwald
The Vienna Woods are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The long and wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese....
.
The waltz's introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
, which is one of the longest he ever wrote for a waltz (at 119 bars in reference to the actual musical score) of which the first part of the Introduction starts off in C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, intertwining with F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
before gaining ascendancy in volume and mood, finishing with a 'lunga' direction. The second part, which is the more reflective, is in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
with a solo violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
incorporating bits of material which would crop up in successive waltz sections. A short flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
invoking birdsong comes in which moves on to the zither solo, marked 'moderato'. The zither part involves two sub-sections of its own; the slowish ländler
Ländler
The ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century.It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping...
tempo and its more vigorous counterpart, with the direction of 'vivace' (quickly). Loud orchestral chords brings the waltz back to reality, and the familiar waltz theme in F major is played.
Waltz 2A and 2B is in B-flat major whereas Waltz 3A is in the key of E-flat major with a quick section in B flat in Waltz 3B. The entire waltz section 4 is in B flat as well whereas waltz section 5 is wholly in the E flat key. Waltz 5B contains the customary climax with cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s and is loudly played. After a brief and tense 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...
, Waltz 1A makes a re-entry. As the waltz ushers closer to its end, the zither solo makes another appearance, reprising its earlier melody in the Introduction. A crescendo in the final bars dispels the tranquility and the waltz is concluded with a brass flourish and snare drumroll.
Play
In allusion to Strauss' waltz, Ödön von HorváthÖdön von Horváth
Edmund Josef von Horváth was a German-writing Austro-Hungarian-born playwright and novelist...
wrote a play of almost the same name (Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald) in 1931
1931 in literature
The year 1931 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Cherokee playwright Lynn Riggs' play Green Grow the Lilacs premiers. It would later be adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein as Oklahoma!....
, for which he was honored with the prestigious Kleist Prize
Kleist Prize
The Kleist Prize is an annual German literature prize. The prize was first awarded in 1912, on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Heinrich von Kleist. The Kleist Prize was the most important literary award of the Weimar Republic, but was discontinued in 1933.In 1985 the prize...
that year. This Volksstück (popular play) was based in the contemporary setting of Wachau
Wachau
The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans". It is in length and was already...
, Josefstadt
Josefstadt
Josefstadt is the eighth district of Vienna . It is near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but borders changed later. Josefstadt is a heavily populated urban area with many workers and residential homes.It has a population of 22,057 people...
, and the Vienna Woods just before the Austrofascist
Austrofascism
Austrofascism is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria with the May Constitution of 1934, which ceased with the forcible incorporation of the newly-founded Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938...
takeover. It tells the fate of a naive young woman named Marianne, who breaks off her reluctant engagement with Oskar the butcher after falling in love with a fop named Alfred who, however, has no serious interest in returning her love. For this error, she must pay bitterly. Werner Pirchner
Werner Pirchner
Werner Pirchner was an Austrian composer and jazz musician.He was born in Hall in Tirol, and had his musical start playing jazz. In 1963 he played vibraphone in the Oscar-Klein-Quartett....
composed the incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
to the play.
Films
The play was filmed for cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
tic release in 1961
1961 in film
The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB...
by director Erich Neuberg, starring Johanna Matz
Johanna Matz
-Selected filmography:* Season in Salzburg * The White Horse Inn * The Life and Loves of Mozart * Ingrid - Die Geschichte eines Fotomodells * Trees Are Blooming in Vienna * Tales from the Vienna Woods...
(Marianne), Walter Kohut
Walter Kohut
Walter Kohut was an Austrian film, television and theatre actor.He appeared in many Austrian and German films over a 30 year period and became known for playing shady characters...
(Alfred), Helmuth Lohner
Helmuth Lohner
Helmuth Lohner is an Austrian actor, theatre director, and from 2004 to 2006 director of the Theater in der Josefstadt....
, Hans Moser
Hans Moser (actor)
Hans Moser was an Austrian actor who, during his long career, from the 1920s up to his death, mainly played in comedy films. He was particularly associated with the genre of the Wiener Film...
(reprising his role of Marianne's father from the 1931 Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
premiere), Helmut Qualtinger
Helmut Qualtinger
Helmut Qualtinger was an Austrian actor, writer and cabaret performer.-Biography:Helmut Qualtinger was born in Vienna, Austria...
(Oskar) and Jane Tilden (Valerie), among others.} Another version was made for television in 1964.
A 1979
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
remake was undertaken by director Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
, this time featuring Birgit Doll (Marianne), Hanno Pöschl
Hanno Pöschl
Hanno Pöschl is an Austrian actor.Pöschl has enjoyed a long and prolific career working with directors Maximilian Schell, Peter Patzak, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Paulus Manker, Richard Linklater, and Götz Spielmann...
(Alfred), Helmut Qualtinger
Helmut Qualtinger
Helmut Qualtinger was an Austrian actor, writer and cabaret performer.-Biography:Helmut Qualtinger was born in Vienna, Austria...
(Zauberkönig), Jane Tilden (Valerie), Adrienne Gessner (Alfreds Großmutter), Götz Kauffmann (Oskar), André Heller
André Heller
Franz André Heller is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.- Biography :Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers . His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation...
(Hierlinger) and Robert Meyer (Erich).
An unusual adaptation of the waltz appears in the first half of Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
's 1943
1943 in film
The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
A Corny Concerto
A Corny Concerto
A Corny Concerto is an American animated cartoon short produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Frank Tashlin, animated by Robert McKimson and released as part of the Merrie Melodies series on September 25, 1943...
. Set to the tune of the waltz, Porky Pig
Porky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts using the fat little pig...
and his dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
are "...hunting that (censored word) rabbit." The rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
of course is none other than Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
, who proceeds to play a series of tricks on the aforementioned characters. The second half of the cartoon focuses on The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
, another famous piece of music by Strauss. The cartoon was incorporated into the 1975
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Bugs Bunny: Superstar
Bugs Bunny: Superstar
Bugs Bunny: Superstar is a 1975 Looney Tunes documentary film, narrated by Orson Welles and produced and directed by Larry Jackson.The film includes nine Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons which were previously released during the 1940s :* What's Cookin' Doc? * The Wild Hare Bugs Bunny:...
.