TO MARK ITS FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY, THE JOHANN STRAUSS SOCIETY OF VIENNA PAID TRIBUTE TO ONE OF ITS MOST DISTINGUISHED PRESIDENTS

Another great success with a rarely performed operetta

While the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna celebrated both its 70th and 75th anniversaries with productions of Johann Strauss operettas ( please refer to the entries in this section for the years 2006 andf 2011), it marked its 80th anniversary with stage performances of a work created by one of its most prominent presidents – Bruder Straubinger by Edmund Eysler. This master of the Silver Age of Viennese operetta presided over the Johann Strauss Society from 1947 to 1949. Under his presidency the Society organized a multi-day event for the first time: to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Johann Strauss‘ death, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna launched a twelve-day „Festival Week“ in 1949, which later developed into the Vienna Festival Weeks (please refer to the entries in this section for the years 1949 and 1950).

The operetta „Bruder Straubinger“, which is now considered an absolute rarity, was Edmund Eysler’s first full-length operetta. The work premiered in 1903 and made the previously unknown composer famous overnight – far beyond the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.With the support of the City administration of Vienna and under the patronage of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Paul Wagner, the composer’s great grandson, the festive production organized by the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna, celebrated its acclaimed premiere in the Grand Festival Hall of the Hietzing Municipal Office in Vienna on 17th November 2016. The Classical Operetta Ensemble Vienna performed the work with the following cast:

Scene from the finale of the First Act at the premiere in Vienna From left to right: P. Widholz, M. Loydolt, H. Graczoll, behind them A. Hirsch, J. Pechhacker, J. Föttinger

Even if the premiere was a great success, the crowning moment of this anniversary production took place a week later, when the Stadttheater Wiener Neustadt presented Bruder Straubinger on 25th November 2016, only a week after the premiere in Vienna. The Classical Operetta Ensemble performed in its premiere cast, together with the chamber music orchestra of the Gardemusik Wien under the baton of its Chief conductor Oberst Mag. Bernhard Heher. The Vienna Military Command was not only represented in the orchestra pit, but also on stage, namely by the men’s choir of the Gardemusik Wien (see our title photo)

Scene from the finale of the Second Act at the performance in Wiener Neustadt. From left to right: H. Graczoll, J. Föttinger, P.Widholz, C.Camie, behind them J.Pechhacker, K.Bulis

The Stadttheater was completely sold out. At the end of the performance the audience’s cheers showed no sign of stopping, so that President Peter Widholz had the complete ensemble sing the refrain of the main song of the operetta „Küssen ist keine Sünd“ again in front of an already closed curtain and even encouraged the audience to join in.

At the end the ensemble and the audience sang together „ Küssen ist keine Sünd“ – everyone knew the song, hardly anyone knew the work it comes from.

The overwhelming reception of the anniversary production both in Vienna and in Wiener Neustadt was seen by the Society as confirmation that it had once again succeeded in realizing two of its most important goals: the revival of unjustly forgotten works of classical Viennese music on the one hand, and their transmission to the younger generation, on the other. (The latter had been achieved mainly through the involvement of the Gardemusik Wien, which is made up of almost exclusively young military service members). Moreover, the members of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna were overjoyed that they had been able to pay homage to one of their former presidents through these performances.

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