Viva Strauss! (Saint-Petersburg Opera Theatre, opera)

The concert program includes famous waltzes "On the Beautiful Blue Danube", "Voices of Spring", "Emperor Waltz" and the waltz "Tales from the Vienna Wood", which, according to "The Great Waltz", a Hollywood movie about the composer’s life, was created to the sounds of creaking carriage, clattering hooves and the birds’ singing when Strauss was having a trip in the woods. The forest theme will be continued with the "Hunter’s Polka", while "Thunder and Lightnin", "Backgammon", and "Pizzicato Polka" will amaze us with unexpected sound effects. This musical cocktail will be complemented with fragments of the two most popular operettas: sparkling and foot tapping "Die Fledermaus" and colorful "Gypsy Baron" full of Hungarian Gypsy intonations. The Strauss family gave the world a whole constellation of musical talents. Johann Strauss the senior organized his own orchestra, that was recognized as one of the best in Europe, and also was a conductor and a violinist. Young Johann Strauss (Strauss the junior) could play or conduct music day and night. He composed music for any occasion, dedicating his waltzes to doctors, lawyers, newspaper journalists, coachmen of Viennese cabs ... The beauty and charm of his melodies, luxury of orchestral colors, ingenuity and wit of his dance pieces invariably fascinate any audience. Titled as the King of Waltz, he could as well be called the king of polkas, marches or quadrilles which the world has admired for over a hundred years.