Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-27
STRAUSS, THE WALTZ KING.

The Famous Orchestra Lender, With q
Pittsburg bv storm-Three Thousand
People Delighted by the Great Concert.
pY' divine right of succession to the great
talents of his father, who first won the
merry crown, Johann Strauss (the younger),
has long reigned as the "Waltz King' on the
banks Of the beautiful blue Danube where
Terpsichore, Muse Of the many twinkling
feet" most loves to dwell. OF late years, how
ever. his frequent incursions into the realm of
comic opera, which he has now annexed per-
manently to his original domains, have COM
PEELED him to entrust the scepter to the hands
OF his younger brother.
1t renamed for Edouard Strauss, Prince
Regent of the Waltz, to lead his trusty band
OF followers out to conquer the Western Con
tlnent which his royal brother had reconnolt-
ereo M alone many years ago, Surely no cniv-
alrlc citadel ever acknowledged its surrender
more gracefully than did Pittsburg last night
CONFESS its conquest by this merry band Oh IN
vaders. The very flower Of its citizens ID gaia
dress-5,0OO of them, or more-entered INTO tne
ceremony of capitulation with such GOOD VIII,
without even feint of resistance, tnat IL
seemed as though, in fact, they were con,
ferrlng the freedom of the city upon honoreo
guests.
THE plan of this pseudo-campaign was thus
ordered:
Overture-From the Merry War. Johann Strauss
Waltz (new)-Life in America. ... Edouard strauss
sss yns ns PSsSRss 1f
Polka Franchise (newj-The Phonograph.
(Dedicated to Thomas A. EdisOn]. -.
vIsini wsit9"'The i Beautiful ia Blue Danu6e;.
...............JonRnn etrauss
NTERMIssIoN.
0verture1From Die Fledermaus. Johann Strauss
emperor waltz new .;,..;;...;:. Johann Strauss
Polka Mazurka-(5n the Siesian Monnfsins
serenade arranged by Edouard 1 stranss5.
Polka schneli-In the whiri:. EdoaaEd Strauss
But on entering and looking around the su-
perhuously big hall into which the Mechanical
Hall of the Exposition had been temporarily
fashioned, Prince Regent Strauss. like the pru-
dent commander he is. altered his plans a bit.
In place of the "Flying Dutchman" duet, he
gave kind of a medley from the same opera.
preferring skirmish-line at that point to the
brigade he had intended to be there. Reineckes
Evening Prayer" was also suppressed ibid
of sa and h
fred" adopted in It's stead.
r DoUARD STRAUSS follows family tradition in
conducting most of the time, with violin in
hand, sometimes playing few measures, but
generally brandishlng his bow like q fencing
foil. When thus armed he faces the foe, or the
audience, giving them hne view of his tall,
square form. long, wild arms, fercely distfngue
and-medals. When armed only
with the modest baton he turns to the audience
the reverse OF his medals and himself. He does
not do this in the waltzes, perhaps
because the German waltz has no re-
verse, or possibly because his men
his looking at them. Under all this seeming
however, the practiced eye can
discern watchfulness over every detail; how
different must be his leading at rehearsal!
The orchestra numbers about 40 men-all but
one, who is a woman. All the usual depart
ments of Instrumentation are represented, but
the strings seem to have been the victims of a
the number of representatives to which their
relative importance would entitle them.
a#s
THIS being the case, 80 much the more credit
attaches both to conductor and players for
the well proportioned body Of tone heard in all
but the loudest tutti passages. The string
band deserves highest praise for the delicacy
and precision with which they played Johann
Strauss familiar "Pizzicato Polka" and the
pretty number from Gillets ballroom suite
tastle and feeling they showed in the king |
Manfred" prelude.
But why talk of such matters. Even the very |
sweeping advance notes led nobody into that |
real, genuine Strauss music, to which the other |
members were merely foils. And that is lust |
what everybody did hear, and at Its very best.
1t Is unnecessary to go at length into |
critical discussion of the entire pro-
,ramme and of the encore numbers that
learly doubled 1t. By the way, Is it Vlennese
orm to be so quick on the trigger
With an encore piece. or course the
tronghold of the Strauss orchestra lies within
he realm of the Strauss dance music. Out
ide of that realm one could find several points
o criticise-for instance. the stiff, bang g-away"
tyle of the 'Dutchman' piece; the overdoue
ritards and shadings of the Carmen" number:
IT the sluggish, heavy motion of Moszkowski's
amiliar little "Serenata" and the trivial end
ng of the same.
TAKE even the earlier, simpler dances. Few
= among the thousands that have played
hem more or less we'll on the uncomplaining
,iano or Of the hundreds of thousands that
ave heard them harnessed to the unyielding
of the ballroom. have ever
lreamed of the grace finesse and swaying
notion (or emotion) that belongs to these I
valtz-classics. Yet more SO is it with
he later concert waltzes, with their
omantic introductions and ingenuously
rtistic codas And these in turn
re evolved naturally into such compositions
s the overtures to Johann's operas. All possess
he same fund of spontaneous melody stirring
hythm and pleasing harmony easily aDpre-
ended by all-that is when interpreted as last
light by one whose whole being. to the tips of
is toes, evidently thrilled with the traditions
r .