THE FIRST MULTI-DAY MAJOR EVENT
On 3rd June 1949, the 50th anniversary of the death of Johann Strauss, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna organized, for the first time in its history, a multi-day celebration modestly entitled „Johann Strauss Festival Week in Vienna“. It actually lasted twelve days- almost a full fortnight- from 2nd to 14th June 1949. The festival was held under the honorary patronage of four high-ranking politicians, Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl, Vice Chancellor Adolf Schärf, Minister of Education Felix Hurdes, and Vienna’s Mayor Theodor Körner.
Once again, the organizers succeeded in enlisting artists of the highest distinction. This was already manifested in the ceremonial opening concert, held on the eve of the anniversary of Johann Strauss’s death, on 2nd June 1949. On that occasion, Karl Böhm conducted the Vienna Philharmonic, which appeared for the first time at an event organized by the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna. The vocal soloists were Wilma Lipp and Karl Friedrich of the Vienna State Opera. The venue chosen was the Theater an der Wien, where all of Strauss’s operettas had received their world premieres ( from 1945 to 1955, this theatre, together with the Vienna Volksoper, served as a temporary home for the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, which had been severely damaged in the final days of the war).
A particularly significant premiere marked the anniversary of the composer’s death. After the customary wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of the waltz king in the morning, our Society presented its first open-air event in the evening. A „Grand Serenade“ took place in front of Vienna City Hall, performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Rudolf Moralt. On this occasion, Vienna City Hall was illuminated festively – an extraordinary feature in the years of material hardship following the end of the Second World War.
On the following evening, another premiere was celebrated: for the first time in its history, our Society organized a ball, held in the ceremonial rooms of Vienna City Hall.
For the first time, the Vienna Volksoper was involved in the festival week. On four evenings it presented performances of four of Johann Strauss’s most popular operettas. On 14th June it concluded the series of events with the premiere of a new ballet divertissement. Alongside music from the operettas already staged, excerpts from Strauss’s works „Das Spitzentuch der Königin“, „Der Karneval in Rom“ and „Prinz Methusalem“ were also incorporated. Several other institutions likewise participated in an event organized by the Johann Strauss Society for the first time, including the Vienna Boys‘ Choir and the Tonkünstler Orchestra, while others – such as the State Opera Ballet and the Vienna Men’s Choral Society – returned as regular participants.
The „Johann Strauss Festival Week in Vienna“ was brought to a close with the publication of a „Johann Strauss commemorative volume“, through which our Society drew attention to both the 50th anniversary of the death of Johann Strauss the Younger and the 100th anniversary of the death of his father, commemorated on 25th September of the same year.
In the diffucult years of reconstruction after the Second World War, during the period of occupation, when Austria’s future was still uncertain, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna succeeded in bringing a touch of cheerfulness into an otherwise bleak everyday life. Through the music of Johann Strauss it spread hope and confidence. It was almost miraculous that such a small society was able to organize an event of such scale at a time when resources of every kind were scarce. The achievement earned the Society widespread recognition and international respect. Reading the greeting message of the then Austrian Federal Chancellor, Leopold Figl, in the commemorative publication mentioned above, one gains the impression that this accomplishment was even seen as having political significance.
