The Viennese Dance Series for Chamber Ensembles
Josef Lanner
Abendsterne Waltzes for String Quartet, Op.180
Josef Lanner (1801-1843) and Johann Strauss Sr. were the original pioneer "Waltz Kings" of Vienna. Later they were both overshadowed by Johann Strauss Jr. While Strauss Sr is still remembered, outside of Vienna, Lanner and his music all but disappeared and today is forgotten. But he wrote some very extraordinarily lovely music and all of it was originally intended for small chamber music ensembles. Lanner, a violinist, was largely self-taught. At first a member of a small local Viennese dance orchestra, Lanner formed a string quartet and went out on his own. He met with immediate success and after a few years increased the size of his group to a small string orchestra which included Johann Strauss, Sr. who served as Lanner's deputy leader. Lanner's orchestra was a large success in great part to the performance of his own compositions. (Strauss, Sr.'s compositions were not being played much by Lanner and so he quit Lanner's group and formed his own competing orchestra.) Lanner and Strauss, Sr both thrived but soon became rivals. Eventually, Strauss, Sr.'s fame spread far and wide as he undertook several tours abroad while Lanner stayed at home in Vienna convinced that the rest of Europe was not as keen on the waltz as was Vienna where he remained equally as popular as Strauss, Sr.
The Abendsterne (Evening Stars) Waltzes, Op.180 date from 1841. It was dedicated tot he Sicilian prince Leopold who was then in Vienna. No doubt, he hoped for some sort of remuneration from the prince. It is not known if he received one, however, the waltzes, first performed at the Golden Pear Ballroom, enjoyed considerable popularity andsince then it have remained one of Vienna's most beloved set of waltzes. The Abendsterne is set in the format that Lanner and the Strausses standardized--an introduction followed by five waltzes and a coda.
Parts: $13.95
