Focus: Johann Strauß

The New Year's concert. Everyone has heard the wonderful Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra play the no less extraordinary music of Johann Strauss?

This music dances and leaves a very special sensation of joy and profound lightness. I wanted to convey this impression here, by gradually building up a music whose initially irregular rhythmic structure is transformed into an ephemeral waltz, only to return to where it came from. Like a dream into which you enter and from which you emerge filled with serenity.

Premiered and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 by the BBC Concert Orchestra a short light and festive work for Christmas. Ideal for young and old audiences alike.

Kuntur is the quechua word for Condor.

This work proposes a dialogue between Strauss's Fledermaus and different latinamerican musics inspired in flying animals, as "El Condor Pasa", "El Pájaro Campana", "El Pájaro Chogüi" and "Tico tico".

This work is based on one of the most famous waltzes by Johann Strauß Jr., "An der schönen, blauen Donau", Op. 314. The concept for this composition is placing a story in the form of a re-orchestration over Strauss' existing composition. Because everyone knows the original Strauß-waltz, adjustments and disruptions written by Endhi Houthuijsen to portray a simple story about social processes can be recognized immediately. The musicians are expected to act out to portray the story.

The need to express one's feelings through music and movement has been ingrained in mankind for eons. It was only with the advent of musical notation, however, that it became possible to make the music of our ancestors audible in concrete terms, or to play it back. Dances have always played a major role in this. Be it the minstrel music of the Middle Ages, the courtly dances of the Renaissance and the Baroque or the modern dances of the recent present, dance plays a central role within the entire history of music. The term 'waltz' was first mentioned towards the end of the 18th century and referred to both the music and the associated dance. Today, there are countless forms, variations and varieties of this classical dance, many composers have turned to this genre and created a wealth of literature on it. The present work, 10 Waltzes for Guitar op. 30 by Frank Knabben, joins the gallery of famous models.

Each of these waltzes is different, has its own character and different forms of expression. It is not the different tempi that make each of these ten waltzes so unique, but the choice of keys in particular plays a decisive role in this. Ten waltzes - ten different

keys! It is striking that in all his works published for guitar so far, the composer has no regard for so-called 'uncomfortable' keys; the opposite is the case. Guitarists generally do not like the B-flat keys very much, this is understandable when one considers that already with two B-flats only three of six strings are available as so-called 'empty strings'. The art is to arrange the works in such a way that the permanent and tiring barré fingering is avoided - and the composer knows this technique very well. But let's let him speak for himself:

"I don't have an absolute ear, yet I associate the different keys with different colours and sensations. At some point, it was no longer enough for me to always use only the keys that can be played well on the guitar. There is so much more to this wonderful instrument! My personal favourite keys are F minor and B minor. In the latter, for example, I feel a deep glowing and warm red. Waltz number 7 is in E flat minor, an extremely sensitive, lilac key. If I transpose this work just a semitone upwards, to E minor, the composition changes radically. The colour changes to a deep blue, the character becomes demanding and impetuous.

I cherish the hope that guitarists will not be deterred in the long run by compositions with more than three or four accidentals. Try it out, it's worth it." So much for the composer.

My favourites include waltzes number 4 and 9. In 'La Cetra', the guitar imitates an Alpine zither in a convincing and original way. Exotic and courageous is the 'Valzer in stile tango', two different dances merge here effortlessly into a novelty.

Overall, the album has a difficulty level of 2-3.

Elisabeth Mainzel

Modernist symphonic work for reduced-size orchestra (brass section excluded), inspired by "Quattro Pezzi Su Una Nota Sola" of Giacinto Scelsi, and, the resonance figure-diagrams in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s book "Principles of Orchestration". The players play just one, maybe two pitches throughout, corresponding to the areas of maximum resonance of each individual instrument, as specified by Rimsky-Korsakov. Somehow through the miracle of modern sequencing software and above-average patience, it was possible to conjure up a work that sounds like a romantic music symphony. It's possible the audience may not even realise the limits imposed on the players. Supported by The Professional Artists Development Award from Meath County Council Arts Office Ireland in 2010.

Waltz was composed as a simple birthday gift for my aunt’s 88th birthday. Its 3/8 meter and tonal character stand in opposition against an underlying 12-tone structure that permeates the fundamental fabric of the music. Much of my music explores the potential commonalities between what is often regarded as two separate and independent musical genres: the so-called tonal and 12-tone idioms. The work is permeated by a leap into chromatic descending line that connects the rapidly changing pitch collections and resulting implied harmonies from measure to measure. The opening 16-bar phrase is repeated for emphasis and centered implicitly on a C major chord as anchor. The performer is given leeway in this waltz to phrase, shape, and articulate this playful dance as one would perform similar works in the style. It has been recorded by David Holzman for Albany Records (TROY 1875).

I thought when I composed the three Bitter(Sweet) Waltzes that they were throw away pieces. However, when performed and later recorded by the great Steven Beck, I realized that these works are not slight but have a melancholy and melodic depth that is engaging and pulls the listener in. These pieces are meant to be played by all pianists regardless of their skill level who will find them engaging and worthwhile.

This classical-romantic composition comes from the cycle for orchestra "A Symphonic Journey through Vienna" (2014 - 2022).

I wrote these pieces in an indefinite period of time when I kept discovering Vienna for myself.

The cycle "A symphonic journey through Vienna" is dedicated to the world cultural city, Vienna, in the following aspects:

• the accordion was invented and patented in Vienna. It is played as an equal instrument and as an integral part of the orchestra, where its timbre as well as its playing techniques are used. 
• all pieces of the cycle are waltzes --> Vienna as the world capital of the waltz -> Johann Strauss
• each piece describes a landmark of Vienna, generally the world capital of classical music.

I thought the cycle was complete in 2022, but I was inspired by Vienna again in the years 2023 and 2024. 

I created two more works that will be published in the near future. I am therefore leaving it open as to when this orchestral album

(dedicated to the city of Vienna) will finally be completed.

Symphonic journey through Vienna (2014 - ):

1. Reminiscence - the longing for Vienna (2014)

2. Beginning of spring in the Vienna Prater (2015)

3. Old barrel organ at Stephansplatz (2016)

4. A fairy tale from the Vienna Woods (2017)

5. In the Vienna city park, alone ... (2018)

6. At Maria-Theresien-Platz (2019)

7. An exhibition at the Albertina Museum (2019)

8. The sound colours of Schönbrunn Palace Park (2020)

9. In the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein (2020)

10. Scenes at the Burgtheater (2020)

11. A festive opera ball reception at the Vienna State Opera (2021)

12. Sunset and Dawn on the Danube (2021)

13. White doves on Heldenplatz (2022) 

14. Christmas market at Vienna City Hall Square (2023)

15. In the Karlskirche and at Karlsplatz (2024)