Johann Strauss : Sonnenblume (Sunflowers), polka-mazurka for orchestra, Op. 459

Описание: Sonnenblume. Polka-Mazur (Sunflower. Polka-mazurka) op. 459

'The atmosphere and music of the operetta are strongly reminiscent of 'Der Zigeunerbaron' [The Gypsy Baron, 1885]. The people in the area [Serbian south Hungary] don't talk a lot of sense, but they sing and dance all the more frequently and have the good sense to have the music for this provided by Strauss".

Thus wrote the critic for the Vienna Neue Freie Presse (13.10.1894) in his review of the opening night of Johann Strauss's operetta, Jabuka (Das Apfelfest), which was presented for the first time at the Theater an der Wien on 12 October 1894 during the composer's Golden Jubilee year. The reviewer's remarks about the music in Jabuka found an echo in most sectors of the press: Richard Heuberger, later the composer of the operetta Der Opernball (The Opera Ball, 1898), wrote in the Wiener Tagblatt (13.10.1894): "The music is true Strauss, even if it is quieter and more discreet. It no longer strikes up the bright, joyous laughter of 'Fledermaus'".



Of particular interest, in view of one of the dances that was later arranged from the score of Jabuka, is another observation by the Neue Freie Presse reporter: "Remarkably, an instrumental piece in the Strauss operetta made an absolutely thrilling impression: the orchestral prelude to the third Act, starting off in waltz-time, exhibits uncommonly tender feeling and overflows with melodic sweetness. The audience could not hear enough of this entr'acte music and it had to be repeated: everyone thought instinctively of the dazzling success which Mascagni's Intermezzo enjoyed at the first performance [20.03.1891] of 'Cavalleria rusticana' in our [Court] Opera Theatre". For reasons explained in detail in the notes accompanying opp. 456 and 458 in this Marco Polo CD series of recordings, the task of selecting and arranging all but one (op. 455) of the separate dances (and march) from the score of Jabuka fell not to Strauss himself, but to the conductor and composer Louis Roth (1843-1929). Earlier, on an unidentified Sunday in the summer of 1894, Strauss had written to his friend "Gustl"Lewy, the publisher of Jabuka: "I have today sorted out the themes which are suitable as dance music. From them can be made 2 excellent quick polkas, a French polka of equally high standard [and] a highly effective quadrille. Perhaps I can even produce a polka-mazurka out of them, too".



The polka-mazurka indeed came into being, fashioned by Roth from the plentiful melodies in Strauss's jubilee operetta, and entitled Sonnenblume. The choice of title derived from a reference to the flower in the text to the Act 2 duet (No. 10) for Anitta and Vasil von Gradinaz: "Da sah er, wie im Thale die Sonnenblume stand / Zu ihr mit einem Male war er in Lieb' entbrannt" ('Then he saw how the sunflower was standing in the valley / At once he was enflamed with love for it'), although the accompanying melody does not feature in the polka-mazurka itself. The themes used for Sonnenblume commence (theme 1A) with material from the moving Prelude to Act 3, anticipating the first melody in the Act 3 Quartet (No. 17), "Siehe die Sonne verglüh'n", while the sources of the remaining melodies are as follows:

Theme 1B - Act 1 Finale (No. 8), section sung by Mirko:

'Wohlan, wohlan, Ihr Schwestem und Brüder"

Trio 2A - Act 1 Entrance Couplet (No. 3), Joschko: (Refrain section)

"Ja tief empfand ich meine Sendung"

Trio 2B - Act 2 Duet (No. 10), Anitta and Vasil: to the words

"O blüh' für mich, o sei mir gut"

(This latter quotation, "O blüh' für mich, o sei mir gut" - 'Oh flower for me, be fond of me' - is also to be found jotted on a billet doux Strauss wrote for his wife Adele.)

As Lewy's publishing house issued no orchestral performing material for Sonnenblume, the polka-mazurka has been arranged for the performance on this Marco Polo recording by its conductor, Christian Pollack.