Strauss 200

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Stephen Bell, conductor
Rebecca Bottone, soprano 

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, under the baton of Stephen Bell, present a Viennese programme spanning three generations of musical genius, to celebrate Johann Strauss’ 200th Birthday. 

From the elder Strauss’s stirring marches through the golden age of operetta with Johann Strauss II and Franz Lehár, to the artistry of Erich Wolfgang Korngold (whose career spanned child prodigy composer to founder of Hollywood film music), this programme captures the essence of Viennese glamour, including the effervescent Fledermaus Overture and the charming Thunder and Lightning and Cuckoo Polkas. 

International opera singer, soprano Rebecca Bottone, joins the orchestra to sing the Spharenklänge Waltzes by Josef Strauss, showcasing the remarkable legacy of the Strauss family, as well as Franz Lehár’s Vilja (Die Lustige Witwe/The Merry Widow) and Meine Lippen (Giuditta). Bottone sings stunning arias from Strauss – Audition Song (Die Fledermaus) – and from Korngold – Marietta’s Lied (Die tote Stadt/The Dead City), alongside lilting waltzes, Voices of Spring and Audition Song (Die Fledermaus). 

Lehár’s contributions to the silver operetta era shine in The Land of Smiles Overture, while Korngold’s final orchestral work, Straussiana, marks a reminiscence of his youth in Vienna, and contains lesser-known melodies from Strauss operettas Fürstin Ninetta and Cagliostro in Wien, and three-act comic opera Ritter Pázmán, in homage to the Waltz King.  

From the spirited Gypsy Baron Overture to the delicate Pizzicato Polka, join us for a classical celebration of Viennese finesse, with works by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. 

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.