Essential Johann Strauss Ii

The Viennese composer and conductor Johann Strauss II (1825–1899) followed his father – also called Johann Strauss – in producing some of the most familiar and best-loved waltzes of all time, including ‘An der schönen, blauen Donau (Blue Danube)’, ’Künstlerleben (Artist’s Life)’, ’G’schichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods)’, ’Wiener Blut (Vienna Blood)’ and ’Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltz)’, all included here. Strauss’s delightful polkas, such as ‘Leichtes Blut (Light as a Feather)’, ’Unter Donner und Blitz (Thunder and Lightning)’ and ’Im Krapfenwald'l (In Krapfen’s Woods)’ are also extremely familiar from the famous Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day concerts, regularly broadcast on television around the world. Also heard here are extracts from Strauss’s classic Viennese operettas Die Fledermaus, Ein Nacht in Venedig and Der Zigeunerbaron.

Compact Disc 1 1 An der schönen, blauen Donau (Blue Danube) Waltz (from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey) 2 Künstlerleben (Artist’s Life) Waltz (Portrait of a Lady) 3 G’schichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods) Waltz (Heat and Dust) Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1986 (3) & 1982 (1–2) Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) 4 Als flotter Geist...Ja, das alles auf Ehr’ Nicolai Gedda tenor Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper München Bayerisches Staatsorchester München / Franz Allers P 1970/1988* EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG 5 Leichtes Blut (Light as a feather) Polka 6 Tausend und eine Nacht (Thousand and One Nights) Waltz 7 Im Krapfenwald’l (In Krapfen’s Woods) French Polka Wiener Philharmoniker / Rudolf Kempe P 1961/1990* Ein Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice) 8 Komm in die Gondel (Gondola Song) 9 Ach, wie so herrlich zu Schau’n (Lagoon Waltz) Fritz Wunderlich, Rudolf Schock tenors Berliner Symphoniker / Fried Walter P 2000* EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG 10 Wiener Blut (Vienna Blood) Waltz (Before Sunrise) 11 Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) Waltz (Drop Dead Gorgeous) 12 Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltz) (The Last Emperor) Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1982 13 Tritsch-Tratsch Polka (Moonraker) Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan P 1976/1985* Compact Disc 2 Die Fledermaus 1 Overture (The Safecracker) 2 Klänge der Heimat Lucia Popp soprano (2) Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Plácido Domingo P 1986 3 Wein, Weib und Gesang (Wine. Woman and Song) Waltz (The Living Daylights) Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1987 Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) 4 Overture 5 So elend und so treu...O habet acht 6 Wer uns getraut (The Tin Drum) Julia Varady soprano · Josef Protschka tenor (6) Chor der Bayerischen Rundfunks Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Willi Boskovsky Recorded in co-production with Bavarian Radio P 1987 EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG 7 Morgenblätter (Morning Papers) Waltz (Men of Honour) 8 Rosen aus dem Süden (Roses from the South) Waltz (Sheena) Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1985/1991* (7) & P 1982 (8) Casanova arr. Benatzky 9 Oh Madonna auf uns sieh!...O Marie, wie entflieh (Nuns’ Chorus) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf soprano Philharmonir Orchestra & Chorus / Otto Ackermann P 1999* Das Spitzentuch der Königen (The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief) 10 Overture Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1986 11 Donauweibchen (Danube Maidens) Waltz 12 Explosions Polka 13 Champagner Polka Wiener Johann Strauss-Orchester / Willi Boskovsky P 1986 (11), 1981 (12) & 1972/1989* (13) 14 Unter Donner und Blitz (Thunder and Lightning) Polka Philharmonia Orchestra / Herbert von Karajan P 1961/2005*

Price: $16.98