Zeisserln, Walzer, Op. 114 - Josef Strauss

"The Siskins". The waltz Zeisserln belongs to the group of compositions which Josef Strauss wrote for the balls held in Franz Unger’s casino on the occasion of the church festivals in Hernals, as his father and his brother Johann had done before him. In 1861 the feast day fell on 26 August, and the Strauss orchestra was ready. Josef had also contributed the expected dedication, namely, Die Zeisserln. There were almost certainly no siskins in the surroundings areas of Vienna, and so the audience was delighted to hear the strains of delicate birds coming from the Strauss orchestra. Obviously, this melodious waltz was received and greeted most enthusiastically. The ball reporters, like the audience, were convinced that they had heard an "authentically Viennese composition." Staying true to the Strauss family tradition, it complemented corresponding waltzes by Strauss Snr., while nevertheless developing melodies and harmonies along modern lines. The enthusiasm of the public was such that Die Zeisserln remained on the orchestra’s programmes during the entire Summer of 1861. The piano edition was published by Haslinger’s in time for the 1862 Carnival season. To date, the orchestral parts of the waltz have not been found. Since the metal sheet which publisher Haslinger used to produce them has been conserved, reconstructing the original version was no problem.

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Painting: Siskin
Artist: John Halbert

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosice
Christian Pollack