(On the Beautiful Blue Danube)
Strauss – Perpetuum mobile: Musikalischer Scherz
(A Musical Joke)
Nearly every instrument of the orchestra plays a "solo" during the endless progression of eight measure tunes. Most of the tunes are intentionally silly.
Beethoven – Concerto No. 5 - “The Emperor Concerto”
Leonid Kuzmin, Piano
Beethoven's gorgeous 5th (and last) piano concerto is brought to life by celebrated pianist Leonid Kuzmin, winner of both the Stravinsky and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competitions.
Strauss – Zigeunerbaron (Gypsy Baron): Overture
Composed during the romantic period in 1885, the overture begins with the distinctive rhythms of Hungarian folk music and previews different scenes from the operetta.
Strauss – Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltzes)
Composed in 1889 for a meeting between Austrian Emperor Franz Josef and German Kaiser Wilhelm, where it symbolized a “toast of friendship”.
Strauss – Die Fledermaus (The Bat): Overture
There's nothing like a good trailer to tell you what's coming up. The overture to Die Fledermaus tempts the listener with sweet melody, bouncy rhythms, and thrilling scoring that hints at the mistaken identity, gala ball and humorous plot twists that are to come.
Strauss – An der schonen blauen Donau
(On the Beautiful Blue Danube)
The unofficial Austrian anthem is a centerpiece of Viennese New Year's celebrations. It can be heard in American pop culture in settings from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Simpsons.
Lobby music by finalists in the Long Beach Mozart Festival. Pre-Concert Talk by KUSC 91.5FM radio host Alan Chapman.
