BIRTH OF THE CLASSICAL OPERETTA ENSEMBLE VIENNA

The background

In 1992, Prof. Franz Mailer became president of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna. He immediately devoted himself to the realization of a long-envisioned goal: the scholarly complete edition of all surviving works of Johann Strauss II. In 1995, work was started on the „New Johann Strauss Complete Edition“. To help finance this ambitious undertaking, one member of the Society took the initiative: Peter Widholz, who had made a successful debut at the Wiener Kammeroper in 1995, organized and performed in a benefit concert together with some colleagues, primarily young artists, some of whom were engaged at the Vienna Kammeroper, the Volksoper, and the Burgtheater.

The concert

On 25th October 1996, the 171st birthday of Johann Strauss II, this benefit concert took place in an elegant setting in the ceremonial hall of the „Gründerzeit“ district office building in Vienna’s Landstraße district. The venue was chosen deliberately: Vienna’s third district was the very area where many works by Josef Lanner and the Strauss family had received their premieres. The programme comprised excerpts from operettas by Jacques Offenbach, the founder of the genre of musical theatre , Johann Strauss II, its most distinguished representative, on whom the main focus of the programme rested, and Franz Lehár, the most eminent successor of Strauss in the field of operetta.

K.Kuncio, S. Schauer, S. Göhr, T. Gardner, H.Remmer und F. Faltus at the end of the first part, singing the drinking song from „Die Fledermaus“

H. Remmer, S. Schauer, P. Widholz and K. Kuncio at the end of the second part presenting the March of the Women from the operetta „Die Lustige Witwe“

At the end of the concert President Franz Mailer thanked the singers with roses and promised that the proceeds of the concert would be used to fund the printing of the Johann Strauss waltz „Die Österreicher“

The consequences

The great artistic as well as financial success of the concert prompted President Franz Mailer to ask Peter Widholz to organize further events in the service of the Johann Strauss Society. These events were intended not only to provide the Society with ongoing financial support, but also to increase its public visibility and recognition. Peter Widholz agreed to take on this responsibility. Since 1996, artistic events have been organized and presented by the Society continuously without interruption.

The significance

With the concert on 25th October 1996, the Strauss Society reappeared before the public with an artistic event after an interval of 27 years – more than a quarter of a century. The organization not only resumed releasing new productions, but also promoted the collaboration among singers dedicated to the music of Johann Strauss and his musical circle. A considerable number of artists who had come together for the first time at this concert soon developed into a well-coordinated ensemble. Before long, this ensemble performed not only at events organized by the Society, but was also engaged by agencies for their own productions. Owing to the high artistic quality of its members and their focused training in the authentic interpretation of Viennese operetta, it was possible to attract distinguished artists to participate in subsequent projects. Public funding from the federal government and the City of Vienna enabled larger projects, including full operetta productions. Invitations to perform abroad, as well as CD and television recordings, further emphasized the ensemble’s importance.

In retrospect, 25th October 1996 can be seen as the birth of an internationally successful ensemble. From that point on, the Society has had its own ensemble, allowing it to independently preserve and perform the classical Viennese operetta to this day.

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