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PATRIOTIC INSPIRATION
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Patriotism also inspired the "Tales from the Vienna Woods," a sentimental postcard view of the dark Bavarian forests outside of the city. The work, essentially a collection of waltzes, each of which is reprised at the end, evokes the verdant woods that offered a refuge for city dwellers. Of the five waltzes, only one has the polish of a Viennese waltz; the version for orchestra that comes after it is heard played by a zither. An instrument that sounds like a small guitar, the zither was commonly used at wine tastings held in the woodlands near Vienna, as noted by the Strauss family's sympathetic chronicler Egon Gartenberg.
The other four waltzes have a heaviness different from the normal lithe character that had couples gliding across the ballroom. Beginning in the clarinet's evocation of a forest bird, the introduction opens into a happily stamping dance, then gives way to a flute solo, with more birdlike trilling. The zither solo follows, and then Johann Jr. finally gives us the first waltz, with the elegiac zither melody in the violins.
The second waltz sways almost drunkenly, letting the strings and woodwinds swoon about. The third comes directly after, with no transition, and Johann Jr., famous in his time for his wonderful orchestration, enlists the trumpets to discreetly reinforce the melody.
Johann Jr. raises the energy level in the fourth waltz. The tempo picks up, and he places accents in the melody to highlight the dance's spring. The second part uses many turns, tiny fillips around a note, to add to the sprightly steps. He keeps the trills and turns coming in the fifth and final waltz, and has also started using the entire orchestra and its percussion section. Before the thrilling conclusion comes a coda, which brings back all of the wonderful melodies heard earlier. The effect is of a final nostalgic look back on what came before.
Even today, waltzes retain their integral link to Viennese culture. Hotels advertise authentic Strauss dances with 19th-century costumes, and, in the waltzes' clearest tie to the city, the Vienna Philharmonic still performs them every New Year's Day
Top banner photos: The cellists of the Vienna Philharmonic, the golden statue of Johann Strauss, Jr. in Vienna's Stadtpark (Austrian National Tourist Office/Wiesenhofer), and the orchestra's horn section. |
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Walter Cronkite, the popular former newsman, marks his 21st season as host of the annual festivities. |
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The full orchestra is comprised of more than 120 members, 55 of whom are violinists and violists. |
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The DVD and CD are available from Amazon.com. |
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