Kaiser-Walzer op. 437 (Emperor Waltz) is a
waltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
composed by
Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas...
in 1889. The famous waltz was originally titled 'Hand in Hand' and was intended as a toast made in August of that year by
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n emperor
Franz JosefFranz Joseph I , reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and as King of Hungary and Crotia from 1848 until 1916 .-Early life:Franz Joseph was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the oldest son of...
on the occasion of his visit to the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Kaiser Wilhelm II where it was symbolic as a 'toast of friendship' extended by Austria to
GermanyPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
.
His astute publisher,
Fritz SimrockFriedrich August Simrock, better known as Fritz Simrock was a German music publisher who inherited the publishing firm from his grandfather Nicolaus Simrock...
, suggested an even more diplomatic title 'Kaiser-Walzer' since the title could allude to either monarch, and thus satisfy the vanity of both rulers.
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Kaiser-Walzer op. 437 (Emperor Waltz) is a
waltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
composed by
Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas...
in 1889. The famous waltz was originally titled 'Hand in Hand' and was intended as a toast made in August of that year by
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n emperor
Franz JosefFranz Joseph I , reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and as King of Hungary and Crotia from 1848 until 1916 .-Early life:Franz Joseph was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the oldest son of...
on the occasion of his visit to the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Kaiser Wilhelm II where it was symbolic as a 'toast of friendship' extended by Austria to
GermanyPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
.
His astute publisher,
Fritz SimrockFriedrich August Simrock, better known as Fritz Simrock was a German music publisher who inherited the publishing firm from his grandfather Nicolaus Simrock...
, suggested an even more diplomatic title 'Kaiser-Walzer' since the title could allude to either monarch, and thus satisfy the vanity of both rulers. The magnificent new waltz was first performed in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 21 October 1889 although the illustrator of the original piano edition has the last laugh as the title cover bore the illustration of the
AustrianThe House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
Imperial Crown.
The pomp and majesty of the work is demonstrated throughout. A quiet march starts the waltz's introduction before a sweeping crescendo heralds the gentle waltz principal melody. As more waltz sections are introduced, the mood remains constantly upbeat and triumphant. A
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
solo near the end of the work is a touching melody of the first waltz section, before a
trumpetThe trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC...
fanfare ushers the end of the towering work, complete with a drumroll on the
timpaniTimpani are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper, and more recently, constructed of more lightweight fiberglass. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick...
and a strong brass flourish.