Rathausball-Tänze
Encyclopedia
Rathausball-Tänze op. 438 is a waltz
by composer Johann Strauss II
written in 1890 in honor of the inauguration of the new city hall of Vienna
or the 'Rathaus'. The event that this waltz was intended to grace was that of the opening of the new banqueting hall (Festsaal) on 12 February 1890 where two rival orchestras were commissioned to provide dance music for the occasion. The first is the Strauss Orchestra under the direction of Eduard Strauss
and the other belongs to the family rival Kapellmeister Karl Michael Ziehrer
who was head of the Vienna House Regiment 'Hoch und Deutschmeister No. 4'.
This waltz is interesting in the entire history of the Strauss family for two reasons. The first is not so consequential as it marked Strauss incorporation of many snatches of his famous The Blue Danube
waltz op. 314 resulting in the entire Coda (tail-piece) being dominated with anticipation of the waltz proper as is Strauss incorporation of Haydn's Austria
n hymn Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser
into various sections of the Coda. The result is that the Coda is one of the first waltzes by Strauss not to recall themes from earlier waltz section and can be considered revolutionary.
The second reason of interest is that of his rival Ziehrer's domination of the event with his infectious and rousing waltz dedication Wiener Bürger waltz op. 419. The rival's waltz is so quintessentially Viennese that the equally compelling 'Rathausball-Tänze' was quickly ignored and until today, Ziehrer's dedication remained the more popular of the dedication works presented on that day. This marked the first of the many occasions where after Johann Strauss II
's death, his brother Eduard Strauss
often found himself struggling to compete with his fierce rival and ultimately compromise Strauss dominance at the turn of the century.
Johann Strauss was evidently bitter at the 'musical defeat' that he has not suffered in such a long time in his entire glorious career. In a letter to his publisher of the waltz, Fritz Simrock
, in 1892 (long after the events have transpired) he pointed out an error in the score which he claimed 'spoiled the entire melody and as composer, is the most aggrieved.' He concluded by noting that the publisher had 'effectively mutilated him' before amusingly adding 'after that, was I supposed to be saying with best wishes? Yes, I'll say it anyway!'.
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 composer 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 1890 in honor of the inauguration of the new city hall 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...
or the 'Rathaus'. The event that this waltz was intended to grace was that of the opening of the new banqueting hall (Festsaal) on 12 February 1890 where two rival orchestras were commissioned to provide dance music for the occasion. The first is the Strauss Orchestra under the direction of Eduard Strauss
Eduard Strauss
Eduard Strauss was an Austrian composer who, together with brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. The family dominated the Viennese light music world for decades, creating many waltzes and polkas for many Austrian nobility as well as dance-music...
and the other belongs to the family rival Kapellmeister Karl Michael Ziehrer
Karl Michael Ziehrer
Karl Michael Ziehrer was an Austrian composer. In his lifetime, he was one of the fiercest rivals of the Strauss family; most notably Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss....
who was head of the Vienna House Regiment 'Hoch und Deutschmeister No. 4'.
This waltz is interesting in the entire history of the Strauss family for two reasons. The first is not so consequential as it marked Strauss incorporation of many snatches of his famous 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...
waltz op. 314 resulting in the entire Coda (tail-piece) being dominated with anticipation of the waltz proper as is Strauss incorporation of Haydn's 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 hymn Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser
Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser
Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser was an anthem to Francis II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and later of Austria. Lorenz Leopold Haschka wrote the lyrics, and Joseph Haydn composed the melody...
into various sections of the Coda. The result is that the Coda is one of the first waltzes by Strauss not to recall themes from earlier waltz section and can be considered revolutionary.
The second reason of interest is that of his rival Ziehrer's domination of the event with his infectious and rousing waltz dedication Wiener Bürger waltz op. 419. The rival's waltz is so quintessentially Viennese that the equally compelling 'Rathausball-Tänze' was quickly ignored and until today, Ziehrer's dedication remained the more popular of the dedication works presented on that day. This marked the first of the many occasions where after 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...
's death, his brother Eduard Strauss
Eduard Strauss
Eduard Strauss was an Austrian composer who, together with brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. The family dominated the Viennese light music world for decades, creating many waltzes and polkas for many Austrian nobility as well as dance-music...
often found himself struggling to compete with his fierce rival and ultimately compromise Strauss dominance at the turn of the century.
Johann Strauss was evidently bitter at the 'musical defeat' that he has not suffered in such a long time in his entire glorious career. In a letter to his publisher of the waltz, Fritz Simrock
Fritz Simrock
Friedrich August Simrock, better known as Fritz Simrock was a German music publisher who inherited a publishing firm from his grandfather Nicolaus Simrock...
, in 1892 (long after the events have transpired) he pointed out an error in the score which he claimed 'spoiled the entire melody and as composer, is the most aggrieved.' He concluded by noting that the publisher had 'effectively mutilated him' before amusingly adding 'after that, was I supposed to be saying with best wishes? Yes, I'll say it anyway!'.