Viennese Christmas Spectacular - Thurs 17 Dec, Portsmouth

PROGRAMME
Strauss II – Overture to Die Fledermaus
Strauss II – Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
Shostakovich – Waltz No. 2
Sibelius – Valse triste
Tchaikovsky – Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty
Korngold – Serenade from The Snowman
Schubert – Ständchen
Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
Kreisler – Marche miniature viennoise
Kreisler – Liebesleid
Kreisler – Liebesfreud
Tchaikovsky – Selections from The Nutcracker
Strauss II – The Blue Danube

ABOUT
This programme celebrates the festive elegance, charm and sparkle of the Viennese tradition with this dazzling selection of orchestral favourites.

At its heart is the music of Johann Strauss II, the “Waltz King”, whose works capture the wit, sparkle and irresistible energy of 19th-century Vienna. From the effervescent Die Fledermaus Overture to the playful Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, literally "chit-chat" or “gossip”, culminating in The Blue Danube, one of the most famous waltzes ever written: an unofficial anthem of Vienna and a piece that has enchanted audiences for generations, from grand ballrooms to the silver screen in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Alongside Strauss, the programme explores the many moods of the waltz, from Shostakovich’s jazz-infused Waltz No. 2 to the haunting beauty of Sibelius’s Valse triste. Tchaikovsky brings a touch of magic with the graceful Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty and the much-loved Nutcracker Suite, with some of the most recognisable music ever written — from the delicate sparkle of the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” to the sweeping beauty of the “Waltz of the Flowers”.

We also have festive music from Korngold’s Serenade from The Snowman, Schubert’s Ständchen, and Kreisler’s much-loved Viennese miniatures.

Full of elegance, nostalgia and exhilarating musical colour, this is a concert to lift the spirits and delight audiences of all ages.