First-ever CD release and television recording of a production by the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna

 

Background

In 2000, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna expanded its activities and included the promotion and preservation of the works of Oscar Straus. The occasion was the 130^th anniversary of the composer’s birth, which was marked by a commemorative concert in the course of which  Dr. Marcel Prawy stepped onto the stage and gave the audience some interesting information about Oscar Straus (see the corresponding report in this section). Two years later, the Johann Strauss Society, together with its Classical Operetta Ensemble Vienna, staged its first full-scale production of an Oscar Straus operetta: “Rund um die Liebe”, a work that had once enjoyed international success. At the premiere in Vienna on 12^th October 2002, held under the patronage of the composer’s granddaughter, Inge Prebil- Straus, the President of the Romanian Strauss Society, Josefina Rodica, was among the guests. She was so impressed by both the operetta and the production that she immediately decided to present this stage production at the Second International Strauss Festival, which she was planning for 2003. Moreover, she envisioned not only a television recording of the performance, but also a live recording to be released as a CD production.

The recording

The second “International Johann Strauss Festival” in Romania took place from 7^th to 12^th September 2003, this time in Timișoara. As with the previous year’s festival in Bucharest (see article in this section), the event was held under the patronage of the President of Romania, Ion Iliescu, and under the honorary patronage of Prof. Franz Mailer, President of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna. On 11^th September, a television recording was made, along with a live recording for the CD release of “Rund um die Liebe”. The venue was the concert hall of the “Ion Vidu National College of Arts”. The orchestra of the Romanian Opera Timișoara performed under the baton of Prof. Leopold Grossmann. Against this backdrop – with the orchestra seated on stage and the performance space in front – the Classical Operetta Ensemble (see cover photo) appeared in its original premiere cast, directed by Peter Widholz, with costumes by Ingrid Nowotny and choreography by Renate Kedziersky. Once again, Ulrike Vetter appeared as Countess Stella, Peter Widholz as Baron Hans, Kurt Breitfellner as his coachman Vinzenz, Friedrich Faltus as Bachmayer, Claudia Fischer as his daughter Steffi, and Johannes Föttinger as Baron Mucki.

The performance took place before a live audience. The enthusiasm it generated in Timișoara was also captured by the media. Romanian television recorded the performance and broadcast it at a later date, and the CD was released only a short time afterwards.

Significance

 In the 1950s and 1960s, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna (JSG WIEN) in collaboration with Philips, produced more than a dozen recordings of both well-known and rarely performed works by Johann Strauss II with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of various conductors. These releases included four “highlights” albums from Strauss operettas, as well as several compositions by Josef Strauss, Johann Strauss I, and Franz von Suppé. More than three decades had passed since those pioneering recordings. With the recording of “Rund um die Liebe” the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna achieved a premiere in three respects:

1. Never before had a production of the Strauss Society been recorded on CD
2. Never before had a complete operetta production of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna been released on a sound recording
3. This was the world’s first complete recording of “Rund um die Liebe”  issued on CD.

When, after a quarter of a century, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna had resumed bringing artistic performances to the public in 1996, Austrian television channels repeatedly reported on various of its activities. However, no television station had ever recorded or broadcast an entire production. Thus, a further premiere had been achieved on 11^th September 2003. It marks a milestone  – and in fact a highlight – in the work of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna.

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