By phone
On the phone is a polka by Johann Strauss Sohn (op. 439). The work was performed for the first time on February 10, 1890 in the Sofienbad Hall in Vienna.
Remarks
The polka was written for the carnival ball of the journalists' association Concordia and was premiered on this occasion. In it the composer deals with the increasing use of telephones in Vienna (and worldwide). This invention by Alexander Graham Bell was patented in 1876. Since the electricity exhibition in Vienna's Prater in 1883, this invention had also found its way into the capital of the Danube monarchy and an ever-expanding telephone network was soon established. For music lovers it may be interesting to learn that one of the first telephone transmissions in Vienna in 1883 was a performance of the Verdi opera Aida from the court opera to the rooms of the aforementioned exhibition. After the world premiere, the work was also played on February 23, 1890 in the concert hall of the Wiener Musikverein under the direction of Eduard Strauss as part of the annual carnival revue. The polka was dedicated to the art-loving mayor of Pressburg, now Bratislava , Johann Batka (1845–1917), a personal friend of the composer. In England in the 1970s this polka was played slightly differently as Christmas polka .
The playing time on the CD listed under individual records is 2 minutes and 39 seconds. This time can vary somewhat depending on the conductor's musical conception.
Web links
Individual proof
- ↑ Source: English version of the booklet (page 75) in the 52 CD complete edition of the orchestral works by Johann Strauss (son), published by Naxos (label) . The work can be heard as the eleventh track on the 27th CD.