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Strauss Waltzes (1967–1989) Michael Finnissy
The three Strauss Waltzes (“Where the Lemon Trees Bloom”, “O Beautiful May”, and “Tales from the Vienna Woods”) were originally part of a longer set of 23 Poems/Fantasies written, for the most part, between 1960 and 1968. At that time I was accompanying ballet classes to pay my way through Sixth Form and college, and these pieces reflect (to a certain extent) “balletic” idioms—and (more specifically) my enthusiasm for the virtuosic transcriptions of Strauss by Tausig and Godowsky. However, these are not straightforward ‘transcriptions’, the original sequences have been chopped up into tiny fragments, and then re-ordered—rather in the manner of the re-ordered angles and perspectives of Cubist and Futuristic painting... harmonic and melodic patterns recognizable from Strauss’ originals appear out-of-sequence and with no fear of the consequent tonal instability. The intention is to evoke the spirit and sensual elevation of a Strauss waltz, and clearly not to try and reproduce (or fake) one. The waltzes have subsequently been re-copied, and re-dedicated to Jonathan Powell, Nic Hodges, and Ben Morison, who gave them their respective first performances. —Michael Finnissy

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from thethingsinbetween : works by Alvin Curran, Michael Finnissy, Michael Longton, Stephen Parkinson and Linda Catlin Smith, released October 10, 1999
Composer: Michael Finnissy

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