Kaiser-Walzer

Strauss' publisher, Fritz Simrock, suggested the title Kaiser-Walzer, since the title could allude to either monarch. The waltz was first performed in Berlin on 21 October 1889. The original cover of the piano edition bore the illustration of the Austrian Imperial Crown.

Composition

A quiet march starts the waltz's introduction before a sweeping crescendo heralds the gentle principal melody of the first waltz. As more waltz sections are introduced, the mood remains constantly upbeat and triumphant. A cello solo, rather like a cadenza, near the end of the work reprises the melody of the first waltz section, before a trumpet fanfare ushers the end of the work, complete with a drumroll on the timpani and a strong brass flourish.

Waltz 2