Man lebt nur Einmal!
Encyclopedia
Man lebt nur einmal! is a waltz
by Johann Strauss II
written in 1855. The piece was marked as "im Ländlerstyle" which in other words means "in the same style as the landler
", which is an Austria
n folk dance. The title was a quotation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
, but it raised a few eyebrows at that time as Vienna
was just recovering from a disastrous cholera
epidemic and many of the stricken populace may have been superstitious of such a title. Nonetheless, Strauss performed it at the 'Sperl' Ballroom to great acclaim and this waltz has endured lasting appeal even in a simple string arrangement for a quintet consisting of two violin
s, one viola
, one cello
and double bass
.
The Introduction is a rustic Austria
n countryside evocation, with flute
s announcing the first bars. The first waltz section is undoubtedly Viennese in character however, with a similar mood second part of the first section. The sections 2 to 4 are genial and unsurprisingly cheerful whereas the 5th section is an excellent landler
adaptation. The coda
is short with the first waltz theme making a quiet re-entry. As the waltz proceeds to its close, a short snatch from the Introduction melody comes in again before its anticipated ending.
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 1855. The piece was marked as "im Ländlerstyle" which in other words means "in the same style as the landler
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...
", which is an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n folk dance. The title was a quotation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, but it raised a few eyebrows at that time as 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...
was just recovering from a disastrous cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic and many of the stricken populace may have been superstitious of such a title. Nonetheless, Strauss performed it at the 'Sperl' Ballroom to great acclaim and this waltz has endured lasting appeal even in a simple string arrangement for a quintet consisting of two 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....
s, one viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, one cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
.
The Introduction is a rustic Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n countryside evocation, with 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...
s announcing the first bars. The first waltz section is undoubtedly Viennese in character however, with a similar mood second part of the first section. The sections 2 to 4 are genial and unsurprisingly cheerful whereas the 5th section is an excellent landler
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...
adaptation. 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...
is short with the first waltz theme making a quiet re-entry. As the waltz proceeds to its close, a short snatch from the Introduction melody comes in again before its anticipated ending.