Fünf Kleeblad'ln, Walzer, Op. 44 - Josef Strauss

"Five-leafed Clover". On the feast of the local patron saint, there was always a great deal of activity in Ungers Casino in the suburb of Hernals. This very spacious establishment stood at the present location of the U6 Alserstraße subway station. Every year, a merry festival took place there, and in the days of Strauss the Elder, the Strauss Orchestra would play its newest pieces, including some enjoyable waltzes especially composed for this dance event. The audience, consisting of wealthy manufacturers and businessmen with their families, as well as of suburban gentlemen with their wives and sweethearts, did not care for concert waltzes. They wanted to hear pleasant tunes and the music floating over the generally over-crowded room was supposed to have a local and traditional flavour, with folkloric elements from Vienna and the Lower Austria region. For the feast of the local patron saint in 1857, which was celebrated with a ball on 31 August in Ungers Casino, "Pepi" Strauss had prepared a five-part waltz entitled Fünf Kleeblad'ln. The composition was kept in Ländler-style and was very well received by the audience. On 2 September 1857, the newspaper Theaterzeitung reported that the "wonderful Ländler and the Steeplechase-Polka (op. 43), which had their premieres, had to be repeated several times. About 2000 people danced at Ungers Casino that night. They did not depart until about 3 o'clock in the morning, tired but happy to have spent such an enjoyable evening".

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Painting: The Four Leaf Clover
Artist: Winslow Homer
Date: 1873

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosice
Alfred Walter