The Viennese Dance Series for Chamber Ensembles
Johann Strauss Jr.
Soundbite String Quartet,
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Soundbite Piano, Strings & Winds,
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Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op.214
For String Quartet or Piano 2 Violins, Cello & Bass or
Piano, Violin, Clarinet, Cello & Bass or
Piano, Violin, Flute, Cello and Bass
The Tritsch-Tratsch Polka was composed in 1858 in Vienna shortly after Strauss' return from a concert tour of St. Petersburg. It was said to be his derisive response to rumors then circulating in Vienna of his various amorous adventures and affairs while there. Tritsch-Tratsch is Viennese slang for gossip or rubbishy talk.
Its lively high spirited melody made it an immediate hit and one of the most popular works that Strauss ever wrote. It was originally intended for his small orchestra of around 30 players but arrangements of it for much smaller and more intimate groups were almost immediately made from the time it was published so that it could be heard in the cafes and coffee houses throughout Vienna. We offer it in four of the more common arrangements.