Johann Strauss II: G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, Op.325

Introduction

Composed in 1868, G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, op. 325 was one of six Viennese waltzes by Johann Strauss II which featured a virtuoso part for zither. The waltz's premiere that year reiterated the ascendancy that the dance had made from its humble village origins to become one of the pleasures of fashionable Viennese society, largely thanks to the performing and composing talents of the Strauss dynasty. Nevertheless, the title of Strauss' dance recalls the folk music of the inhabitants of the Vienna Woods.

The waltz's introduction is one of the longest he ever wrote for a waltz, 119 bars in the musical score. The first part of the introduction starts off in C major, intertwining with F major before gaining ascendancy in volume and mood, finishing with a lunga direction. The second part, which is the more reflective, is in the key of G major with a solo violin incorporating bits of material which appear again in successive waltz sections. A short flute cadenza invoking birdsong comes in which moves on to the zither solo, marked moderato. The zither part involves two sub-sections of its own; the slowish ländler tempo and its more vigorous counterpart, with the direction of vivace (quickly). If the zither is unavailable, a string quartet plays the zither themes, instead. Loud orchestral chords brings the waltz back to reality, and the familiar waltz theme in F major is played.

Waltz 2A and 2B are in B-flat major, whereas waltz 3A is in the key of E-flat major with a quick section in B-flat in waltz 3B. The entire waltz section 4 is in B-flat as well, whereas waltz section 5 is wholly in the E-flat key. Waltz 5B contains the customary climax with cymbals and is loudly played. After a brief and tense coda, waltz 1A and 2B makes a re-entry. As the waltz ushers closer to its end, the zither solo makes another appearance, reprising its earlier melody in the introduction. A crescendo in the final bars dispels the tranquility and the waltz is concluded with a brass flourish and snare drumroll.