Rosen aus dem Süden (Roses from the South), Walzer, Op. 388

Program notes

About the Work

Rosen aus dem Süden (‘Roses from the South’) is one of Johann Strauss II’s most beloved concert waltzes, and one of several he fashioned from melodies in his operettas, in this case Das Spitzentuch der Königin (‘The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief’) of 1880. The title comes from that operetta’s romance ‘Wo die wilde Rose erblüht’, and the waltz was first played at the Musikverein in November 1880 under Eduard Strauss. Strauss, like Suppè, recognised that the theatre’s best tunes could enjoy a second life on the concert platform, and he reworked them into self-standing waltz sequences that have far outlived their parent stage works. Rosen aus dem Süden is a particularly rich example, its title evoking the warmth and fragrance of the Mediterranean south, and its melodies among the most generously lyrical the Waltz King ever wrote. The waltz unfolds with the breadth and confidence of Strauss at the height of his powers, a garland of memorable themes strung together with consummate skill. It ranks among the cornerstones of the New Year’s Concert repertoire and a perennial audience favourite.

What to Listen For

Listen for the broad, songful introduction that sets a glowing, romantic mood before the dancing begins. Then comes the chain of waltz melodies, each more memorable than the last; Strauss’s invention here is at its most generous and flowing. Note the elastic Viennese rhythm, the lustrous string sound, and the way the coda gathers the waltz’s loveliest themes into a warm, expansive farewell. This is the Waltz King in his fullest lyrical bloom.