Neu Wien

''' Neu Wien ''' (''New Vienna''), [[Opus number|opus]] 342,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wechsberg |first=Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci8IAQAAMAAJ |title=The Waltz Emperors: The Life and Times and Music of the Strauss Family |date=1973 |publisher=Putnam |isbn=978-0-399-11167-9 |page=175 |language=en |quote=Neu Wien, Opus 342, his comment on 'New Vienna'...}}</ref> is a [[waltz]] written by [[Johann Strauss II]] in 1870<ref>{{Cite book |last=Strauss |first=Johann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ADzWGx-aaMsC |title=Favorite waltzes, polkas, and other dances for solo piano |date=1993-01-01 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-27851-3 |page=3 |language=en |quote=Neu-Wien (New Vienna), Op . 342 (1870).}}</ref> and dedicated to Nicolaus Dumba (1830–1900), who was a fervent patron of Arts and was the Chairman of the [[Wiener Männergesang-Verein]] (Vienna's Men Choral Association) and vice-president of the [[Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde]] in Wien (Society of Friends of Music in Vienna).

New Vienna was written in the form of a choral waltz at the request of the Choral Association and was first performed at the [[Fasching]] of 1870 for the Association's 'Narrenabend' (Fool's Evening) where Strauss had similarly dedicated his [[waltz]] [[Wein, Weib und Gesang]] op. 333 for the same festivity. Strauss himself did not perform the choral work at its première on 13 February 1870 because of a commitment to the [[Prince Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst]] to provide music for the latter's ball on exactly the same day as the Association's 'Narrenabend'. The new work was therefore entrusted to the musicians of the 49th (Baron Hess) Infantry Regiment under the direction of [[Eduard Kremser]] to provide its premiere.

Although the waltz was intended as a choral work with text by the Association's poet and good friend of Strauss [[Josef Weyl]], today, the work is more familiar being a purely orchestral work as is the other Strauss waltzes which began life as a choral work such as [[The Blue Danube]] waltz. Weyl's text refers to the expansion of [[Vienna]] in 1870 where various old suburbs are incorporated as well.

The waltz also chronicled a sad chapter in the Strauss dynasty with the death of mother Anna Strauss after a long illness on 23 February 1870. Strauss and his brothers temporarily withdrew from the musical life before reappearing on 13 March of the same year at the [[Musikverein, Vienna|Musikverein]]'s Golden Hall with the [[Strauss Orchestra]] for the 'Carnival Revue'. Johann Strauss' new waltz in purely orchestral form met with generous applause when performed on that occasion and has since retained its popularity. Nicolaus Dumba himself remained proud of his dedication for the rest of his life and survived long enough to actually witness themes from the waltz incorporated into the [[operetta]] [[Wiener Blut (operetta)|Wiener Blut]] five months after Strauss' death in 1899.

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Waltzes by Johann Strauss II]] [[Category:Music of Austria]] [[Category:Compositions set in Vienna]]