Ernst Thaiss, Vienna Symphony Orchestra - Johann Strauss Ii: Ballet Music "Ash-Covered Princess (Cinderella)" All Songs [2-Disc Set] - Import 2 CD

Credits:

Ernst Thaiss, Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Description:

In 1899, Mahler, then music director of the Vienna Court Opera, commissioned Johann Strauss II, the "Waltz King," who was at the height of his popularity, to compose a ballet music to be performed at the theater. The Waltz King was already 73 years old, and he seemed to have already foreseen the end of his life (his "Raimund's Music," written the year before, shows some of his nostalgia), but Strauss gathered his strength and began work on the ballet he was asked to compose, "The Ashes of the Princess. As he had predicted, he died on June 3, leaving the work unfinished. Strauss had only half of the first and third acts completed by Joseph Beyer (1852-1913), a conductor of a generation slightly later than Strauss. However, Mahler declared that the completed work "was not Strauss's," and refused to perform it in Vienna. Therefore, the premiere took place at the Berlin Royal Opera House in 1901. Perhaps because Beyer and Strauss were close friends, the music flows naturally, and there is no sense of discomfort when listening to the entire work. Naxos Japan