Ragtime in Vienna
Viennese Telegramme
Musik à la Schrammel
Strauss-Schubert-Lanner in Grinzing
Im Kaffeehaus
Alpine Music

What could possibly be the connection between Vienna - a world-renowned capital of classical music - and ragtime, a form of music born out of the marriage of Afro-American influences. To understand this apparent contradiction, let us delve into turn-of-the-century Vienna. The Strauss family has already retired from the world of dance music for a number of years. Johann II died in 1899, after consecrating his last years to the operetta. Eduard now directs the Strauss Orchestra concerts at the Musikverein and on worldwide tours. It has been years since he stopped conducting the orchestra for Viennas grand balls, which no longer represent what they had in the Biedermeier period. C.M. Ziehrer has replaced Eduard Strauss at the baton of the court balls, yet he too devotes most of his time to operettas, and like the Schrammel brothers, is steeped in Viennese folklore. It goes without saying that the waltzing continues, but the emphasis is now on the music of Old Vienna as played in the flourishing cafés. While sipping a good wine, the Viennese enjoy music by small ensembles made popular by Johann and Josef Schrammel who were inspired by the music of Old Vienna. Suddenly ragtime appears, a new sound with irresistible rhythms which draw the world's attention away from the sweet waltzes that were intrinsically Viennese. The ferris wheel at the Prater Amusement Park now turns to the sound of ragtime. Even the great Brahms had the intention of devoting time to this new style that the Schrammel Brothers had heard on their American tour in 1893. A new binary rhythm takes its place next to the royal Viennese oom-pah-pah.
 

This recording reserves a special place for the American composer Scott Joplin, the principal founder of this musical revolution. It is easy to imagine the difficulties he faced as a Black composer in the United States at the turn of the century. His ragtime opera was never even produced. Included here are several ragtimes, which constitute the majority of his musical production, as well as waltzes, a tango, and excerpts from his opera Treemonisha, which are suffused with an agreeable naïveté, showing at the same time the avant-gardism of a Black composer and his influence on 20th century music. Beside the works of Joplin, we have placed those of Johann Strauss II, who needs no introduction, and those of C. M. Ziehrer, a completely forgotten composer (except in Vienna) who assured the passage of traditional Viennese music from the 19th to the 20th century.
 

We're Goin'around (Extr.Treemonisha) Scott Joplin (1868-1917)

Weaner Mad'ln Op. 388 C.M. Ziehrer (1843-1922)

Hoch und Nieder Marsch Op. 372 C.M. Ziehrer

Annen Polka Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)

Aunt Dinah has blowed de horn (Extr.Treemonisha) Scott Joplin

The "Rag Time Dance" (1899) Scott Joplin

The Augustan Club Waltzes (1901) Scott Joplin

Pizzicato-Polka Josef (1827-1870) & Johann Strauss

Loslassen !!!! Polka-Schnell Op. 386 C.M. Ziehrer

Pine apple rag (1904) Scott Joplin

Please say you will (1895) Scott Joplin

Rendez-vous! Polka-Française Op. 380 C.M. Ziehrer

Maple Leaf Rag (1904) Scott Joplin

Magnetic Rag (1914) Scott Joplin

Solace A Mexican Serenade (1909) Scott Joplin

Morgenblätter Op. 279 Johann Strauss II

We will rest awhile (Extr.Treemonisha) Scott Joplin
 

A very special kind of music appeared in Vienna and all over the world during the last century, a few years before the turn of the century, but still ignored. Ignoring music coming from Vienna? But everybody certainly knows the Beethoven Symphonies, the Magic Flute, the wonderful Schubert Lieder, the Blue Danube and the Vienna Philharmonic New Year Concert... yes, indeed, but there was something else. The rich Viennese folklore, the 1,500 titles (and not only the dozen pieces played by most orchestras) by the Strauss Family, Johann father and son, Josef and Eduard and also by Lanner and Fahrbach father and son, and by Ziehrer and, to complete the picture, the music of the Schrammel Brothers. These musicians gave to the world the music of the OTHER Vienna.

And what do these ensembles from Montreal have to do with these Viennese phenomena? You want to know the secret? Well, one day, during a study trip to Vienna, my wife and I had the unexpected opportunity to attend a concert given by the Philharmonia Schrammeln, one of the best Viennese Schrammel ensembles founded by musicians of the Vienna Phliharmonic, which devotes itself to the traditionnal Viennese Schrammelmusik. And as happend to Tristan and Isolde, the effects of this charm took a permanent place in our lives as we went back to Vienna to conduct more studies of Viennese specialities like the contraguitar, the G-clarinet and the Viennese accordion, and to give concerts tours. Finally we decided to devote our whole lives to this - here - unknown musical treasure.

We chose, for now, to communicate our passion, the "Telegramme" ... and naturally, a Viennese "Telegramme" must have something to do with music.

We would like to thank the following persons for their help and advice about performance practice or about finding the music:

Professor Willy Krause, clarinetist with the Vienna Philharmonic (retired) and former member of the Philharmonia Schrammeln

Peter Hirschfeld, member of the Philharmonia Schrammeln

Dr. Gertrud Pressler, Wiener Volksliedwerk

Dr. Eduard Strauss, Wiener Institut für Strauß-Forschung
 

Telegramme Walzer Op. 318 Johann Strauss II

Antoinette Polka-Schnell Josef Schrammel (1852-1895)

Busserl Tanz / Schwoma Tanz Josef Weidinger

Wiener Karnevals-Walzer Op. 3 (1827) Johann Strauss I (1804-1849)

Hans Jörgel Polka-Française Op. 194 Josef Lanner (1801-1843)

Lob der Frauen Polka Mazurka Op. 315 Johann Strauss (1825-1899)

Weana Gmüath Walzer Op. 112 Johann Schrammel (1850-1893)

Quadrille from Il Trovatore und Rigoletto Ph. Fahrbach Jun. (1843-1894)

Marien-Klänge Op. 214 Josef Strauss (1827-1870)

Jungenfeuer-Galopp Op. 90 Johann Strauss I

Echt Wienerisch-Lieder und Tänze Op. 381 C.M. Ziehrer (1843-1922)

Unter der Enns Polka-Schnell Op.121 Eduard Strauss (1835-1916)

Musik à la Schrammel
 
 
 

The Ensemble Johann Schrammel is a member of the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montréal and the Orchestre Johann Strauss Montréal-Laurentides. With an original Schrammel instrumentation of two violins, the Viennese G-clarinet ("Picksüsses Hölzl") and the contraguitar (bass guitar with 15 strings), the ensemble dedicates itself to the interpretation of "light" Viennese music from the second half of the 19^th century, giving utmost importance to authentic style.

This recording contains primarily the music of Johann (1825-1899) and Josef (1827-1870) Strauss in a vocal arrangement accompanied "à la Schrammel". The works of the Schrammel brothers complete this portrait of Viennese music, constantly oscillating between happiness and melancholy. It has long been a tradition in Vienna to combine singers with the Schrammel instrumental quartet, and considering the mutual esteem that the Strauss family had for the Schrammel brothers, one can certainly justify the combination proposed on this recording as being authentic as well as plausible. To this combination, Strauss-Schrammel, we propose a vocal ensemble formed by members of the same family united by their common love of music (one cannot help the comparison with the fami1ies of the composers and instrumentalists who spent several months making music in Vienna). We hope that the musical product of this combination, Vienna-Montréal, will merit the attention of both amateurs and connoisseurs of beautiful music, making "à la Schrammel" better understood.

Program Notes

In the limited space of this recording, we will try to give a representative look at the important works of the Schrammel brothers. The two marches "Nussdorfer" and "In Arte Voluptas" demonstrate a typical Viennese characteristic in their trio sections, at once dreamlike, then carefree - a long way from the traditional militaristic qualities of marches. "Pester Polka", written on a trip to Budapest, underlines the cultural influence of the surrounding countries upon the Austrian Empire. "Lumpen Polka" (the barefoot polka), written for a traditional Viennese charity ball, is a Polka Schnell (rapid) as opposed to the Polka Française which one finds in the slower Pester Polka. Finally the "D-Tanz" (dance in D major) demonstrates once again this unstable characteristic in Viennese music, moving rapidly from joy to melancholy, and is one of Johann Schrammel's most characteristic works.

The works of Johann Strauss date from his most mature period (1863-1870) where he distanced himself from the ballroom and took interest in the stage, contributing to the acceptance of the controversial Richard Wagner in Vienna.

The works "Feuerfest" and "Moulinet " of his younger brother Josef, whom Johann considered the most talented in the family, transcend the rustic qualities found in traditional polkas.

We would like to thank the musicians of the Philharmonia Schrammeln (Vienna) for their precious help which fired our passion for this music, especially Peter Hirschfeld and Willy Krause, without whom the founding of the Ensemble Johann Schrammel and the production of this recording would have been impossible.

Recorded at St-Augustin church, Mirabel

Strauss-Schubert-Lanner in Grinzing
 
 
 

Program notes

This disc offers the musical repertoire of the cafés and Viennese Heurigen (rural establishments serving new wines) where one goes to relax and listen to waltzes, polkas and ländler. Schubert, Strauss and Schrammel owe to the Viennese wine region of Grinzing the fragrance which not only characterizes their compositions, but also has become an important part of life in the beautiful city of Vienna.

All the pieces presented on this CD were primarly written for instruments. The words and the vocal polyphony were added afterwards, commissioned by Viennese choirs and more specifically, by the famous Wiener Männergesang-Verein. This CD emphasizes the works of the two lesser known "fathers of the waltz" Johann Strauss I and Josef Lanner who were pioneers for the beautiful waltz-poem of the two Strauss brothers Johann II and Josef. It is interesting to note that Stravinsky based a theme of the Ballet "Petroushka" on Lanner's Waltz "Die Schönbrunner" and that the tormented Franz Schubert (in 1997 we celebrated the 200th anniversary of his death) flirted, like before him Mozart and Beethoven, with this Viennese folklore, contributing to ennoble this musical genre. The other totally unknown composers like Schrammel and Schmutzer deeply infused their music with the changing melancholy and "joie de vivre" of the Viennese spirit.

Im Kaffeehaus
 
 
 

The Kaffeehaus... the café... the place one is drawn to after work for its welcoming atmosphere, its culinary delicacies and its choice beverages... the café is a long-standing international tradition. The 19th century Viennese café was supposed to offer music to its clients. To the Viennese of this period, music was as essential as good food and wine. Small musical groups abounded and for their repertoire, they drew upon the dance music in vogue at that time and from the abundant Viennese folk music. Johann Strauss I and Josef Lanner, the fathers of the waltz, were in great demand and later on, a great number of works by Johann Strauss II was arranged for small musical ensembles. Furthermore, there is a Viennese tradition of bringing together two instruments of the same family with an accompaniment such as the contraguitar. This tradition is manifested particularly by the Schrammel brothers, Johann and Josef, to whom we attribute the musical style known as Schrammel (Schrammelmusik).

A large number of the pieces presented on this disc came from the rich collection of Eduard Kremser, the Viennese conductor who saved hundreds of folkloric compositions from obscurity. Several of these dances simply carry the name of their composer, such as the "Bertl-Tanz", named after a Viennese clarinetist. Other dances carry more colourful titles such as "Kunst und Natur" (Art and Nature) or "Schweinsbeuscherl-Tanz" (Dance of the Pork Lung Stew). With his waltz, "Die Schönbrunner", Josef Lanner pays homage to the marvelous castle of Schönbrunn which bordered on his "headquarters" Casino Dommayer, where Lanner had the Viennese twirling and galloping every night.

It seems that the Concordia Press Club of Vienna, aware of the friendly rivalry between Johann Strauss II and Jacques Offenbach, commissioned a waltz for the annual ball of 1864 from both of these composers simultaneously. Strauss eclipsed Offenbach's "Abendblätter" (Evening Newspapers) with his own "Morgenblätter" (Morning Newspapers), the only one of the two compositions which was kept for posterity.

Though the first waltzes of Strauss (father) were only simple folkloric dance suites of 8 measures, the waltz "Loreley-Rhein-Klänge" demonstrates the evolution of this brilliant café violinist who finished his carrer as the Director of Ballroom Music for the Austrian court. The expressive introduction and the elaborate coda prepared the way for the grand waltzes - symphonic poems of his sons Johann and Josef. Finally, it is important to mention that all of the works on this disc, from the most modest to the most elaborate, carry in them the essence of the charming and unique "Alt-Wien" (Old Vienna).

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Alpine Music (JANOUK-004)
 
 

Trio Lauzon-Deschênes

It is well-known that music ist the main hobby of most of the Austrian people and especially those living in the small villages of the Alps. The dances on this CD are played on various instruments like the Zither, the Hackbrett, the violin, and so on. The Lauzon-Deschênes family would like to share with you their love for this country where they lived for several months.
 
 

1- Der Eichberger / 2- Klöpfllied / 3- Herbergweis' / 4- Marsch / 5- Grillenpolka / 6- Jodler / 7- Schottisch / 8- Jodler / 9- Polsterltanz / 10- Vier Almer / 11- Der Boarische / 12- Deutscher / 13- Seeauer Landler / 14- Der Tag hat sich geneigt / 15- Kleiner Walzer / 16- Drei Landler / 17- Menuet de Haydn / 18- Kirchtagslandler / 19- Drei Steirer / 20- Marsch / 21- Tanz / 22- Mazurka / 23- Tafelstück / 24- Tuet eilends erwachen

Anouk Deschênes (recorders, violin and voice)
Anne Lauzon (recorders, clarinet, hackbrett, accordion and voice)
Jean Deschênes (recorders, flute, zither, contraguitar and voice)