Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Cheerful, lively, and rousing: The Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214, is a classic by the so-called "Waltz King" Johann Strauss II and the perfect encore to a successful concert. The Tritsch-Tratsch Polka was the grand finale of a performance by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the baton of Paavo Järvi on July 3, 2023, at the Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
Johann Strauss II (1825–1899) is internationally celebrated as the "Waltz King." With his irresistible dance music — especially his waltzes in triple time — the Austrian composer captivated 19th-century audiences and became a central figure in Viennese high society. As a member of the famous Strauss family, he was both a musical celebrity and a familiar subject of society gossip. In Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, he is said to have playfully caricatured the chatter and gossip of Viennese society, much of which centered on himself and his love affairs.
Strauss himself described the work as a "fast polka." Unlike the waltz, the polka is a lively couple’s dance in 2/4 time, and here it becomes a spirited whirl across the dance floor, not unlike Jacques Offenbach’s can-can.
The sparkling lines in the strings and winds vividly suggest the flutter of dancers’ skirts, while the witty exchanges between orchestral sections and the playful brass accents evoke the animated buzz of conversation — voices overlapping, each eager to contribute the latest tidbit. One can almost hear the gossip in the air: "Have you heard the latest about Shani?"—the affectionate Viennese nickname for Strauss himself.
Whenever Johann Strauss picked up the violin, women were said to fall at his feet. He was the pop star of his age, drawing young crowds to vast ballrooms across Europe. Together with his brothers, he also toured the United States and Russia. Beginning in 1856, he performed repeatedly for the Tsar and the Russian aristocracy over several years, especially during the summer concert seasons near Saint Petersburg.
It was there that he is said to have met his great love, composer Olga Smirnitskaya — a relationship that proved a goldmine for the Viennese tabloid press. After one of his visits to Saint Petersburg, Strauss is believed to have composed the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, a work that playfully mocks exactly this kind of gossip, both in the press and among the public. The piece premiered in Vienna on November 24, 1858.
To this day, the waltzes of the Strauss family remain a cherished part of the Vienna Philharmonic’s traditional New Year’s Concert, broadcast to audiences around the world. And if the famous Blue Danube is not chosen as the encore, the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka is often a likely favorite. In this recording, the work is performed with sparkling verve by The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the baton of the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi.
Text: Gaby Reucher
© 2023 C MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT
Watch more concerts in our concert hall: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
and more famous works from the Romantic period here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih
Subscribe to DW Classical Music: youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic
#johannstrauss #polka #romanticmusic
Cheerful, lively, and rousing: The Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214, is a classic by the so-called "Waltz King" Johann Strauss II and the perfect encore to a successful concert. The Tritsch-Tratsch Polka was the grand finale of a performance by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the baton of Paavo Järvi on July 3, 2023, at the Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
Johann Strauss II (1825–1899) is internationally celebrated as the "Waltz King." With his irresistible dance music — especially his waltzes in triple time — the Austrian composer captivated 19th-century audiences and became a central figure in Viennese high society. As a member of the famous Strauss family, he was both a musical celebrity and a familiar subject of society gossip. In Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, he is said to have playfully caricatured the chatter and gossip of Viennese society, much of which centered on himself and his love affairs.
Strauss himself described the work as a "fast polka." Unlike the waltz, the polka is a lively couple’s dance in 2/4 time, and here it becomes a spirited whirl across the dance floor, not unlike Jacques Offenbach’s can-can.
The sparkling lines in the strings and winds vividly suggest the flutter of dancers’ skirts, while the witty exchanges between orchestral sections and the playful brass accents evoke the animated buzz of conversation — voices overlapping, each eager to contribute the latest tidbit. One can almost hear the gossip in the air: "Have you heard the latest about Shani?"—the affectionate Viennese nickname for Strauss himself.
Whenever Johann Strauss picked up the violin, women were said to fall at his feet. He was the pop star of his age, drawing young crowds to vast ballrooms across Europe. Together with his brothers, he also toured the United States and Russia. Beginning in 1856, he performed repeatedly for the Tsar and the Russian aristocracy over several years, especially during the summer concert seasons near Saint Petersburg.
It was there that he is said to have met his great love, composer Olga Smirnitskaya — a relationship that proved a goldmine for the Viennese tabloid press. After one of his visits to Saint Petersburg, Strauss is believed to have composed the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, a work that playfully mocks exactly this kind of gossip, both in the press and among the public. The piece premiered in Vienna on November 24, 1858.
To this day, the waltzes of the Strauss family remain a cherished part of the Vienna Philharmonic’s traditional New Year’s Concert, broadcast to audiences around the world. And if the famous Blue Danube is not chosen as the encore, the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka is often a likely favorite. In this recording, the work is performed with sparkling verve by The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the baton of the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi.
Text: Gaby Reucher
© 2023 C MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT
Watch more concerts in our concert hall: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
and more famous works from the Romantic period here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih
Subscribe to DW Classical Music: youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic
#johannstrauss #polka #romanticmusic
