This weekend - Bravo Brahms

Saturday 4 September and 5 September at Noon EST

Join us Saturday at Noon EST for the best in Brahms! Brahms wrote beautiful symphonies, rhapsodies and of course his German Requiem is one of the most loved pieces in classical music. Hear the best of Brahms this weekend starting Saturday at Noon EST. To listen online please sign up for the Beethoven Members stream to listen this weekend! Click here to register!

Opera fans please join us for Saturday Night at the Opera at 8PM EST. During SNO, hear the opera Der Zigeunerbaron by Strauss! The Gypsy Baron is an operetta in three acts by which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its libretto was by the author Ignaz Schnitzer and in turn was based on Sáffi by Mór Jókai. During the composer's lifetime, the operetta enjoyed great success, second only to the popularity of Die Fledermaus. The scoring and the nature of Strauss's music have also led many music critics to consider this work a comic opera or a lyric opera.

Its genesis was rather swift and smooth, as Strauss was no stranger to the Hungarian influences apparent in the music score. Many of his earlier works also bore many similar themes, such as the polka Éljen a Magyar! (Long live the Hungarians!) op. 332. Originally, Strauss and Schnitzer intended the operetta as an opera but further revisions were made and the idea of a comic opera was conceived. Strauss' work on the operetta was interrupted in autumn 1883 due to nicotine poisoning and fainting fits and he was to recuperate in Franzensbad. Strauss work on the act 3 of the work was also interrupted when his third wife, Adele Strauss, was taken ill and the couple left for Ostend. Not until autumn 1885 was the work finally completed, with Schitzer making various revisions of the libretto to suit Strauss' style of composing such as not present in the latter's previous stage works.

Strauss' music for The Gypsy Baron is regularly performed today. The orchestral pieces that he furnished from the work were also well-recognised, among them, the sparkling Schatz-Walzer (Treasure Waltz), op. 418, as well as the polkas Brautschau (Looking for a Wife), op. 417, and Kriegsabenteuer (War Adventures), op. 419.

 On Sunday from Noon to 6PM EST join us for a special Symphony Sunday. Starting at Noon EST we will play your favorite symphonies! Send us an email to request@beethoven.com  and remember the only way to listen this weekend is by joining the Beethoven Members Club! Click here to join!  Thanks for listening to Classical Music Without the Attitude... WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio!