Deutsche Sympathien, Walzer, Op. 149 - Josef Strauss

"German Sympathies". The waltz Deutsche Sympathien was written in the summer of 1863 and performed for the first time by its composer on 17 August 1863 in the Vienna Volksgarten. A festival concert was held on that evening in memory of the battle of Leipzig, which have been a decisive defeat for the troops of the French Emperor Napoleon. Like this festival, both of the new compositions by Josef Strauss presented to the substantial crowd, had a political purpose. They were to remind the participants of the German Diet, of the confederation achieved fifty years before among the states existing within German territory. On the title page of the piano score, illustrator A. Grube gave clear expression to austrian hopes: allegories of War and peace hold the old Holy Roman Emperor's crown above the bew reathed two-headed eagle introduced in Austria in 1806. An enormous banner of black, red and gold dominates the background. At its first performance, the waltz met with great success. The public cheered the composer enthusiastically, and recognized the composition's patriotic purpose.

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Credits to the images' owners (I have recreated the title page of the piano score as described by the album's booklet).

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosice
Christian Pollack