Life alarm clock (waltz)
Lebenswecker is a waltz by Johann Strauss Sohn (op. 232). The work was first performed on January 24, 1860 in the Sofienbad Hall in Vienna.
Remarks
The work was composed for the Mediziner Ball in Mardi Gras 1860 and performed there. Accordingly, it was dedicated to the medical students of the University of Vienna. The waltz exudes optimism and courage to live with its cheerful melodies. What ultimately moved Strauss to compose such a work full of vitality is not known. Perhaps he wanted to encourage himself after the breakdown of a love affair in Russia the previous summer. Another possibility is that the composer was thinking of the start of a (supposedly) better future for the citizens of Vienna and the Danube Monarchy at the beginning of the founding period.
The playing time on the CD listed under individual records is 11 minutes and 48 seconds. Depending on the musical conception of the conductor, this time can change by up to a minute plus or minus.
Trivia
The name Lebenswecker was previously used by Joseph Lanner for a waltz. In 1836 he brought out the waltz of the same name (op. 104, Lanner Werke).
Web links
Individual proof
- ↑ Source: English version of the booklet (page 77) in the 52 CD complete edition of the orchestral works by Johann Strauss (son), publisher Naxos (label) . The work can be heard as the seventh track on the 28th CD.