Novellen
Encyclopedia
Novellen opus
146, is the name of a waltz
composed by Johann Strauss II
. The composition was dedicated to the law students of the Vienna University on the occasion of their ball held at the Sofienbad-Saal in Vienna
on January 31, 1854. The work reflects Strauss's fascination for the 'revolutionary' orchestrations of Wagner and Meyerbeer. Due to this, the music critic Eduard Hanslick
was highly critical of the waltz, saying that "with their lengthy eight-bar motifs, their groaning diminished seventh and ninth chords, [and] the thundering noise of their trombone
s and timpani
, [they] are no longer appropriate for dancing. For that reason, not everything which is played in three-quarter-time is a waltz."
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...
146, 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 composition was dedicated to the law students of the Vienna University on the occasion of their ball held at the Sofienbad-Saal in 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...
on January 31, 1854. The work reflects Strauss's fascination for the 'revolutionary' orchestrations of Wagner and Meyerbeer. Due to this, the music critic Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick was a Bohemian-Austrian music critic.-Biography:Hanslick was born in Prague, the son of Joseph Adolph Hanslick, a bibliographer and music teacher from a German-speaking family, and one of his piano pupils, the daughter of a Jewish merchant from Vienna...
was highly critical of the waltz, saying that "with their lengthy eight-bar motifs, their groaning diminished seventh and ninth chords, [and] the thundering noise of their trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s and timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, [they] are no longer appropriate for dancing. For that reason, not everything which is played in three-quarter-time is a waltz."