On Sunday, January 5, 2025, the Teatro Malibran will host a spectacular concert featuring the music of Johann Strauss II and Richard Strauss, conducted by the esteemed Viennese maestro Christian Arming. Currently the principal guest conductor of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Arming brings his expertise to Venice for an evening celebrating the charm and elegance of Viennese musical tradition.
The program opens with Johann Strauss II’s Overture to “Die Fledermaus”, an operetta brimming with wit and effervescence. The evening continues with the celebrated “Wein, Weib und Gesang! op. 333”, “Rosen aus dem Süden op. 388”, and the exuberant “Éljen a Magyar! op. 332”, showcasing Strauss’s unmatched mastery of waltzes and polkas. The first half concludes with the majestic “Wiener Blut op. 354”, a homage to Viennese spirit.
The second half turns to Richard Strauss’s Orchestral Suite from “Der Rosenkavalier”, a masterpiece that captures the bittersweet elegance of waltz culture against the backdrop of Vienna’s decline. Written during a tumultuous time in 1945, the suite weaves together the opera’s finest themes, offering a poignant reflection on the waltz as a symbol of a fading era.
The concert concludes with more of Johann Strauss II’s sparkling gems: the exotic “Egyptischer Marsch op. 335”, the lively “Pizzicato-Polka”, the whirlwind “Tritsch-Tratsch Polka”, and the “Kaiser-Walzer op. 437” ensuring a dazzling finale. Join this enchanting journey through Vienna’s golden age of music.
