Sirens (waltz)
Sirenen is a waltz by Johann Strauss Sohn (op.164). The work was performed for the first time on February 12, 1855 in the Sofienbad Hall in Vienna.
Remarks
The year of the premiere is given as 1853 in the CD description mentioned below. However, this contradicts other information and the numerical order of the catalog raisonné (opus numbers). Therefore the year 1855 is more likely as the year of the first performance than 1853. The work was written for the annual technicians' ball. The meaning of the word sirens remains unclear. Appropriate for a technician's ball, it could be about technical alarms (sirens). The other possibility would be an allusion to the sirens of Greek mythology, who lured strangers to doom with their melody. There is also no musical information about the exact meaning of the word the composer had in mind when giving the name. With a little imagination, the listener can hear both possible interpretations from the music.
The playing time on the CD listed under individual records is 7 minutes and 43 seconds. Depending on the musical conception of the conductor, this time can change by up to a minute plus or minus.
Web links
Individual proof
- ↑ Source: English version of the booklet (page 41) in the 52 CD complete edition of the orchestral works by Johann Strauss (son), publisher Naxos (label) . The work can be heard as the fourth track on CD 13.