Josef Strauss - Heldengedichte, Walzer, Op. 87 (1860)

Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered the bastions, the historical fortifications of Vienna’s inner city, demolished, and added rambling new buildings to the old Hofburg. Nevertheless, the originally grandiose plans had been carried out only half-way and progressed so slowly that the construction and interior finishes of the new palace had not been completed when the Habsburg monarchy collapsed in the year 1918.

An open square resulted between the outer gate to the palace, built in 1824 by Emperor Franz I, and the historic palace complex which, according to the Emperor Franz Joseph’s orders, was named Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square). Two equestrian statues were to dominate this square, namely, the monument to Archduke Karl (1771-1847), the victor of the battle at Aspern in the year 1809 against Napoleon’s troops, and the one to Prince Eugen of Savoy (1663-1736), the army commander in the wars against the Turks in the seventeenth century.

The erection of the monument to Archduke Karl took place in the year 1853; the base was built according to the plans of the famous architect Eduard van der Nüll (1812-1868), and the audacious equestrian statue was the work of the sculptor Anton von Fernkorn. The monument was to have been completed on the fiftieth anniversary of the battle at Aspern, that is, in the year 1859, but the unveiling had to be postponed for another year and finally was scheduled for 22nd May 1860.

On this occasion, a festive concert of the Strauss orchestra in the Volksgarten was scheduled, but the inclement weather neccessitated a postponement until 25th May 1860. On this day, Josef Strauss presented the two compositions he wrote for the unveiling of the monument to Archduke Karl at the Heldenplatz, the Archduke Karl March, Op. 86, and the waltz Helden-Gedichte. In the report on the festival in the Volksgarten, the première of both compositions was confirmed by the usual cliché "which enjoyed the most brilliant success." Years later, the waltz disappeared into the archives of the Strauss orchestra and was believed to be missing. Nevertheless, a copy of the score to be used as a master by the publisher, Haslinger, survived, which made a reconstruction of the instrumental parts and a new edition possible.

This masterpiece is going to be performed during the Neujahrskonzert 2023 conducted by Maestro Welser-Möst!

Orchestra: Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Manfred Müssauer
Painting: Karl Maria Schuster - Emperor Francis Joseph I with retinue on Vienna's Heldenplatz