"Tales from the Vienna Woods" (German: "Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald", occasionally "G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald") is a
waltz by
Johann Strauss II.
Composed in
1868, "Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald",
Op. 325, was one of six
Viennese waltzes by Johann Strauss II which featured a virtuoso part for
zither. The title of Strauss' dance recalls the folk music of the inhabitants of the
Vienna Woods.
Composition notes
The waltz's
introduction is one of the longest he ever wrote for a waltz, 119 bars in the musical score. It starts in
C major, intertwining with
F major before gaining ascendancy in volume and mood, finishing with a
long pause. The second part is in the key of
G major, with a solo
violin incorporating material which appears again in successive waltz sections. A short
flutecadenza evoking birdsong comes in, and moves on to the zither solo, marked moderato. The zither part involves two sub-sections of its own; the slowish
ländler tempo and its more vigorous counterpart, with the direction of vivace (quickly). If the zither is unavailable, a string quartet plays the zither themes instead. Loud orchestral chords bring the waltz back to the familiar waltz theme in F major.
Waltz sections 2A and 2B are in
B-flat major, whereas waltz 3A is in
E-flat major with a quick section in B-flat in waltz 3B. The entire waltz section 4 is in B-flat as well, and waltz section 5 is wholly in E-flat. Waltz 5B contains the customary climax with
cymbals and is loudly played. After a brief and tense
coda, waltz 1A and 2B make a reappearance. As the waltz approaches its end, the zither solo makes another appearance, reprising its earlier melody in the introduction. A crescendo in the final bars concludes with a brass flourish and snare drumroll.