Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 3

On this CD:

1. Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron), overture to the operetta
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Martin Sieghart

2. Accelerationen, waltz for orchestra, Op. 234 (RV 234)
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

3. Bitte schön! (If You Please!), polka française for orchestra, Op. 372 (RV 372)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio State Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Alfred Walter

4. Du und Du (You and You), waltz for orchestra, Op. 367 (RV 367)
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

5. Im Krapfenwald'l, polka française for orchestra, Op. 336 (RV 336)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio State Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Richard Edlinger

6. Wiener Blut (Vienna Blood), waltz for orchestra, Op. 354 (RV 354)
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

7. Ägyptischer (Egyptian March), march for orchestra, Op. 335 (RV 335)
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

8. Neu-Wien (New Vienna), waltz for orchestra (with voice ad lib), Op. 342 (RV 342)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio State Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Alfred Walter

9. Leichtes Blut (Light as a Feather), polka schnell for orchestra, Op. 319 (RV 319)
Composed by Johann II Strauss

Conducted by Oliver von Dohnanyi

Tracks:

An Der Schonen Blauen Donau (Walzer) - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Indigo Und Die 40 Rauber (Overture) - Alfred Walter
Wo Die Citronen Bluh'n (Walzer), Op.364 - Alfred Walter
Pizzicato Polka - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Tausendundeine Nacht (Walzer) - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Die Fledermaus (Quadrille) - Alfred Walter
Fruhlingsstimmen (Walzer) - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Morgenblatter (Walzer) - Johannes Wildner

Customer Reviews:

Mixed Bag.......2005-06-05

There are many better renditions of the “Blue Danube” on the market than this rather smooth and uncontured one from Slovakia, so if you are merely looking for this Strauss super-hit, it would be advisable to go elsewhere (try Willy Boskovsky with the Vienna Philharmonic on Decca). But taken as a whole, this is still quite a pleasing disc, the nine numbers here having been, as I can only assume, culled from the Complete Johann Strauss Edition published by Marco Polo at full-price. The CSR Symphony Orchestra, directed by Ondrej Lenard, makes up for the uninspired opening with fair renditions of the “Pizzicato Polka” and the “Tausendundeine Nacht” waltz, followed later by acceptable versions of “Frühlingsstimmen” and the “Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka”. The playing is not always brilliant, but the overall impression is quite good, especially as the recorded sound is better than on a lot of early Naxos discs (the recordings here were made in 1988 and 1989): if you listen at a slightly higher volume than usual, you will notice that there is much detail captured, with some excellent bass, and only occasionally does the empty recording venue lead to that “cavernous” sound that is so often heard on Naxos. One of the most interesting pieces on this disc is the Overture to Strauss’ opera “Indigo und die 40 Räuber”, here played by the CSSR State Philharmonic from Kosice, directed by Alfred Walter. I have had occasion in the past to criticize Kosice recordings for Naxos, but here both the playing and the sound are superior to the Bratislava CSR SO; the Quadrille from “Die Fledermaus” is also given a spirited rendering by the same orchestra, and it is only the waltz “Wo die Citronen blüh’n” which fails to deliver the excitement that one can expect from Strauss. The last piece on the disc, the “Morgenblätter” (morning newspapers!), is here played by the Polish State Philharmonic, directed by Johannes Wildner, in a more than acceptable rendition in an acoustic that is obviously better than at either of the two Slovakian venues. All in all a mixed bag that can give a good deal of pleasure without in any way being ideal.

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 3

Average customer rating:

Jolly Selection

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Zigeunerbaron (Ov) - CSR SO/Martin Sieghart
Accelerationen (Walzer), Op.234 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Bitte schon (Polka), Op.372 - CSR State PO/Alfred Walter
Du und du (Walzer), Op.367 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Im Krapfenwald (Polka), Op.336 - CSR State PO/Richard Edlinger
Wiener Blut (Walzer), Op.354 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Eygptian March, Op.335 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Neu-Wien (Walzer), Op.342 - CSR State PO/Alfred Walter
Leichtes Blut (Polka), Op.319 - Polish State PO/Oliver Dohnanyi

Customer Reviews:

Jolly Selection.......2005-06-05

The five Naxos volumes of “Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches and Overtures” by Johann Strauss II are, I assume, collated from the Marco Polo edition of the complete works of Strauss and have been published at full price. Strauss was, of course, first and foremost a composer of dance music, but listening to this series makes it perfectly obvious that he was a lot more than that; perhaps it is no wonder that Brahms was said to be one of his admirers.
This third volume contains quite a jolly selection including some very well-known pieces: the overture to the Gypsy Baron, the waltz Im Krapfenwaldl (complete with birdsong-imitations), the superb waltz Wiener Blut and the Egyptian March, composed for the opening of the Suez Canal. But the other pieces on the disc are also all worth hearing. The performances by the CSR Symphony Orchestra of Bratislava, the CSR State Philharmonic of Kosice (Slovakia) and the Polish State Philharmonic are generally adequate – nobody would mistake them for the Vienna Philharmonic, but they obviously enjoyed playing these pieces under the leadership of a total of five conductors. Perhaps surprisingly, there are practically no variations in the acoustic or sound quality.

Johann Strauss Jr.: 100 Most Famous Waltzes, Overtures, Polkas and Marches, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Johann Strauss Jr.: 100 Most Famous Waltzes, Overtures, Polkas and Marches, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00000J8DA
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Die Fledermaus, Ov - Slovak State PO/Alfred Walter
Sinngedichte, Walzer, Op.1 - ORF SO/Peter Guth
Im Sturmschritt!, Polka Schnell, Op.348 - Slovak State PO/Johannes Wildner
Myrtenbluten, Walzer, Op.395 - Polish State PO/Johannes Wildner
Kunstlerquadrille, Op.201 - CSSR State Phil/Johannes Wildner
Kunstlerleben, Walzer, Op.316 - ORF SO/Peter Guth
Explosions-Polka, Op.43 - CSSR State Phil/Johannes Wildner
Kaiserwalzer, Op.437 - Polish State PO/Johannes Wildner
L'Enfantillage (Zepperl-Polka), Op.202 - ORF SO/Johannes Wildner
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Rettungs-Jubel-Marsch, Op.126 - CSSR State Phil/Alfred Walter

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

3 orchestras, 5 conductors

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000274NX
Release Date: 1993-02-05

Tracks:

Die Fledermaus (Overture) - CSR Symphony Orchestra
Lagunen-Walzer, Op.411 - Oliver Dohnanyi
Tick-Tack-Polka, Op. 365 - Alfred Walter
Wein, Weib, Und Gesang (Walzer), Op.333
Annen-Polka, Op.117 - Johannes Wildner
Rosen Aus Dem Suden (Walzer), Op.388
Auf Der Jagd (Polka), Op.373
Kunstlerleben, Walzer, Op.316
Unter Donner Und Blitz, Polka, Op.324

Customer Reviews:

3 orchestras, 5 conductors.......2005-04-27

In 1990, Naxos released a 5-CD set with some of the more well-known pieces by Johann Strauss Jr. taken from the complete Strauss edition on the Marco Polo label; this is the first of the five volumes and contains pieces played by three different orchestras directed by a total of five different conductors. Surprisingly, the disc maintains a fairly uniform standard, only Track 3, the Tick-Tack Polka, being audibly sub-standard: both the CSR State Philharmonic Orchestra from Kosice and the audio recording are not up to par. The other two orchestras to be heard here, the CSR Symphony Orchestra from Bratislava (Slovakia) and the Polish State Philharmonic, are up to the normal standard and can scarcely be told apart; if I had not heard Decca’s recording of some of these pieces with the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Willy Boskovsky, I would have waxed more enthusiastic – but the Vienna recording is just a class above what the East Europeans can produce, despite their obvious enthusiasm. The audio sound level is a little low here, too, and I found it more satisfying to turn up the volume rather more than I would have done for a recording from one of the “majors”.

It is probably not necessary to say anything about Strauss’ music here – it is the kind of thing that many of us grew up with, a kind of classical pop music that will remain popular for ever because of its dancing rhythms, its glorious use of brass and percussion and its light-hearted Viennese tone that allows for touches of melancholy and wistfulness. Perhaps it is no wonder that Johannes Brahms was an admirer of the elder Strauss son!

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 4

Average customer rating:

Entertaining

Johann Strauss Jr.: Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches & Overtures, Vol. 4

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Kaiserwalzer, Op.437 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Karneval in Rom (Ov)
Mephisto's Hollenrufe (Walzer), Op.101
Eljan A Magyar (Polka), Op.332
Karnevalsbotsschafter (Walzer), Op.270 - Polish State Orch/Oliver Dohnanyi
Perpetuum Mobile, Op.257 - CSR SO/Ondrej Lenard
Seid Umschiungen, Millionen (Walzer), Op.443
Vergnugungszug (Polka), Op.281
Wiener Bonbons (Walzer), Op.307

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining.......2005-06-12

The five Naxos volumes of “Famous Waltzes, Polkas, Marches and Overtures” by Johann Strauss II are, I assume, collated from the Marco Polo edition of the complete works of Strauss and have been published at full price. Strauss was, of course, first and foremost a composer of dance music, but listening to this series makes it perfectly obvious that he was a lot more than that; perhaps it is no wonder that Brahms was said to be one of his admirers.

This fourth volume starts with the superb and very well-known “Kaiserwalzer”, the CSR Symphony Orchestra from Bratislava in Slovakia giving a more than acceptable performance under the able baton of Ondrej Lénard. The other eight pieces of the program cannot quite compete with this, but all are nevertheless highly entertaining, and I did not notice any variations in the quality between the three orchestras (the Polish State Philharmonic plays the Carnival’s Ambassador-Waltz and six titles are performed by the CSSR State Philharmonic from Kosice, a provincial orchestra which seems to have benefited greatly from its co-operation with Alfred Walter and here sounds on a par with the other two ensembles). The quality of the recorded sound is, by early Naxos standards, very good.

Johann Strauss, Jr.: 100 Most Famous Waltzes, Overtures, Polkas and Marches, Vol. 6

Average customer rating:

Johann Strauss, Jr.: 100 Most Famous Waltzes, Overtures, Polkas and Marches, Vol. 6

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00000JYTM
Release Date: 1999-08-31

Tracks: