On 18th June 1969, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna organized a commemorative concert in the Great Hall of the Vienna Musikverein to mark the 70th anniversary of Johann Strauss‘ death (3rd June 1899 – our cover photo shows his honorary grave at the Vienna Central Cemetery). The Lower Austrian Tonkünstler Orchestra under the direction of Heinz Wallberg presented exclusively compositions by Johann Strauss, as documented in the printed concert programme.

The „Festival Week of Viennese Music“, organized by the Johann Strauss Society in 1950, was such an outstanding success that the City of Vienna adopted the idea and continued the festival  according to its own vision. Thus, the Vienna Festival Weeks were born, and they have been held annually in spring since 1951.

During the first decade, the Vienna Festival Weeks still demonstrated a close connection to their pioneer, the Strauss Society, by including at least one Strauss concert in their programme each year (with the exception of 1953).

From 1961 onward, the frequency was reduced to just one concert every two years (1961,1963, and 1965). On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the death of the waltz king the festival management was persuaded to include a Strauss concert in its programme. However, despite the tremendous success of this production of the Johann Strauss Society, the  management declined to schedule further concerts of this kind, arguing that they no longer fitted into their overall concept.

This marked the beginning of a phase in the history of the Strauss Society that lasted more than a quarter of a century, during which it no loner produced public concerts. It was not until 1996 that its artistic activities were relaunched. Since then, the Society has presented concerts and full operetta productions and has once again achieved  great success both in Austria and abroad.

 

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