As this series proceeds
it is becoming increasingly evident
that Strauss the father’s almost total
eclipse by at least two of his sons,
gifted though they were, was highly
unjust. Admittedly the first volume
or two in this complete edition suggested
a limited talent, but he was inventing
a new style after all, and by the time
of the pieces in Volume 6 he was writing
"symphonic" introductions,
codas which develop and combine the
themes of the waltz proper, and was
binding together even his longer waltzes
in one long sweep. Furthermore, his
friendly bonhomie, his perky good-humour,
is just as valuable in its way as the
alternating verve and elegance of Johann
II or the gentle melancholy of Josef.
He lacked, maybe, the knack of inventing
memorable titles, yet "The Four
Temperaments" is easy enough to
remember, and how magically its introduction
opens. The syncopated theme of the first
section – "The Sanguine" –
is delightfully droll, "The Melancholic"
sighs and languishes without forgetting
that he is dancing a waltz, "The
Choleric" huffs and puffs with,
again, much syncopation while "The
Phlegmatic" belies his label with
a most affecting, Ländler-like
tune. All are heard again in the extended
coda.
Another highlight is
"My Fairest Day in Baden",
which actually begins with a note of
dark passion leading to a timpani roll
which might suggest approaching thunder
but instead leads to a bright fanfare
and off we go with the waltz. But, if
these and the appropriately upfront
"Carnival Contribution Waltz"
go to the top of my list, there is really
nothing here, not even the two polkas
which may not be by Strauss at all,
which is not worth having.
While the Johann Strauss
II complete edition boasted a range
of conductors, parading some of the
best and quite a lot of the worst in
Strauss interpretation today, the present
series has been largely the work of
Christian Pollack (the editions used
come from his personal archive), with
just two volumes (so far), and wonderful
ones, from the veteran Ernst Märzendorfer.
At the outset I felt that, while Pollack
had the right approach – unmannered
and close to the spirit of the dance
– the orchestral response he obtained
was a bit too rough and ready. However,
I can only report that, like a good
wine, he and his orchestra seem to be
getting better as time goes on, for
in terms of articulation, tuning and
phrasing these performances are really
very able, while his love for the music
is audibly shared by the players. So,
with good recording into the bargain,
this becomes a disc for all lovers of
good Viennese dance music, and not just
for specialists who want every note.
The informative notes
are provided by Franz Mailer, but Keith
Anderson completists will be pleased
to know that their indefatigable hero
has provided the English translations
– and very good ones, for they don’t
read like translations and I
know from my own experience that’s not
an easy thing to obtain.
Christopher Howell
Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina/Christian
Pollack 
