Frühlingsstimmen

"Frühlingsstimmen" ("Spring's Voices," or commonly "Voices of Spring") is an orchestral waltz, with optional solo soprano voice, written in 1882 by Johann Strauss II, his Opus 410.

History

Strauss dedicated the work to the pianist and composer Alfred Grünfeld.^[1] The famous coloratura soprano Bertha Schwarz (stage name Bianca Bianchi) sang this concert aria at a grand matinée charity performance at the Theater an der Wien in aid of the "Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth Foundation for Indigent Austro-Hungarian subjects in Leipzig". The waltz was not a great success at its premiere, but was more successful when performed on Strauss' tour of Russia in 1886. A piano arrangement by the composer contributed much to its success beyond Vienna.^[2]

Bianca Bianchi was then a famous member of the Vienna Court Opera Theatre and Strauss was sufficiently inspired to compose a new work, a waltz for solo voice, for the acclaimed singer.^[3] The result was his world-renowned "Frühlingsstimmen" waltz which celebrated spring and remained one of the classical repertoire's most famous waltzes. The piece is sometimes used as an insertion aria in the act 2 ball scene of Strauss' operetta Die Fledermaus.

Music

	"Frühlingsstimmen" Piano version played by Alfred Grünfeld (1852–1924)
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The waltz makes a grand entry in the key of B-flat major with loud chords preceded with the waltz's three beats to the bar ushering the first waltz's gentle and swirling melody. The second waltz section invokes the joys of spring with the flute imitating birdsong and a pastoral scene. The plaintive and dramatic third section in F minor probably suggests spring showers whereas the fourth section that follows breaks out from the pensive mood with another cheerful melody in A-flat major. Without a coda, the familiar first waltz melody makes a grand entrance before its breathless finish, strong chords and the usual timpani drumroll and warm brass flourish. A performance lasts between seven and nine minutes.

Lyrics

The lyrics were created by Richard Genée (1823–1895).

Die Lerche in blaue Höh entschwebt, der Tauwind weht so lau; sein wonniger milder Hauch belebt und küßt das Feld, die Au. Der Frühling in holder Pracht erwacht, ah alle Pein zu End mag sein, alles Leid, entflohn ist es weit! Schmerz wird milder, frohe Bilder, Glaub an Glück kehrt zuruck; Sonnenschein, ah dringt nun ein, ah, alles lacht, ach, ach, erwacht! Da strömt auch der Liederquell, der zu lang schon schien zu schweigen; klingen hört dort wieder rein und hell süße Stimmen aus den Zweigen! Ah leis' läßt die Nachtigall schon die ersten Töne horen, um die Kön'gin nicht zu stören, schweigt, ihr Sänger all! Voller schon klingt bald ihr süßer Ton. Ach ja bald, ah, ah ja bald! Ah, ah, ah, ah! O Sang der Nachtigall, holder Klang, ah ja! Liebe durchglüht, ah, ah, ah, tönet das Lied, ah und der Laut, süß und traut, scheint auch Klagen zu tragen, ah ah wiegt das Herz in süße Traumerein, ah, ah, ah, ah, leise ein! Sehnsucht und Lust ah ah ah wohnt in der Brust, ah, wenn ihr Sang lockt so bang, funkelnd ferne wie Sterne, ah ah zauberschimmernd wie des Mondes Strahl, ah ah ah ah wallt durchs Tal! Kaum will entschwinden die Nacht, Lerchensang frisch erwacht, ah, Licht kommt sie kunden, Schatten entschwinden! ah! Ah des Frühlings Stimmen klingen traut, ah ja, ah ja ah o süßer Laut, ah ah ah ah ach ja!

The lark rises into the blue, the mellow wind mildly blowing; his lovely mild breath revives and kisses the field, the meadow. Spring in all its splendour rises, ah all hardship is over, sorrow becomes milder, good expectations, the belief in happiness returns; sunshine, you warm us, ah, all is laughing, oh,oh awakes! A fountain of songs is rising, who has been silent for too long; from the brush sounds clear and light the sweet voice again! Ah, gently the nightingale lets stream the first notes, so as not to disturb the queen; hush, all you other singers! More powerful soon chimes her sweet voice. Oh, soon, oh, oh soon! Ah........ Oh, song of the nightingale, sweet sound, ah yes! Glowing with love, ah, ah, ah, sounds the song, ah and the sound, sweet and cosy, seems to carry a plaintive note, ah, ah rocks the heart to sweet dreams, ah, ah, ah, ah, most gently! Longing and desire ah, ah, ah lives in my breast, ah, if the song anxiously calls for me, from afar the stars twinkle, ah, ah in shimmering magic like the moons beam, ah, ah, ah, ah wavers through the valley! As haltingly vanishes the night, the lark starts to sing, ah, the light she promises, shadows recede! Ah! Ah springs voices sound like home, Ah yes, ah yes oh sweet sound, Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah yes.

Frühlingsstimmen in popular culture

• "Frühlingsstimmen" is probably best known today from its use by the American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges in their short films Micro-Phonies and Brideless Groom. In the former short, it is sung by Christine McIntyre. The idea for using it probably came from her, as she had sung it in an earlier 'soundie' sing-a-long short in which she featured. The audience was encouraged to keep quiet when McIntyre was singing the 'Voices of Spring' number.
• Musical films with the name Frühlingsstimmen were made in Austria in 1933 (with music by Oscar Straus)^[4] and in 1952 (with music by Alfred Uhl).^[5]
• The piece is featured in Oshare Majo: Love and Berry/Love and Berry Dress Up and Dance in the "Ball" stage.
• Gloria Jean sings the song in her operatic style during a scene in the 1941 film, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, attempting to complete the song as a variety of soundstage mayhem occurs.
• The song serves as a theme for Elmer Fudd playing the title role in The Stupid Cupid (Warner Brothers 1944).^[6]
• The waltz was choreographed as a ballet by Sir Frederick Ashton, under the name Voices of Spring.
• In the 1994 Looney Tunes short "Chariots of Fur", "Frühlingsstimmen" is on the soundtrack for a gag featuring a giant coil spring.
• Brian May samples part of the waltz for "The Millionaire Waltz", on Queen's 1976 album A Day at the Races.
• Alongside several other pieces such as When the Saints Go Marching In, the waltz is prominently used for background music in the secret Out of This Dimension level in the SNES video game Star Fox.
• It is heard in the background in an early scene of the 1937 Jean Renoir film La Grande Illusion.
• An excerpt from this piece can be heard in the Tom and Jerry films Little Runaway (1952) and Mice Follies (1954). Also, the fourth section is heard in the episode Johann Mouse.
• Disney used the waltz for a Fantasia-esque clip entitled "Dance of the Goofys" in the 2002 film Mickey's House of Villains.

References

1. "Frühlingsstimmen-Walzer" at Klassika.info
2. Palmer, John. "Frühlingsstimmen", Op. 410 at AllMusic
3. C. M. Gruber: "Bertha Schwarz". In: Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Vol. 11, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1999, ISBN 3-7001-2803-7, p. 426 f. (Direct links to "p. 426", "p. 427")
4. Frühlingsstimmen (1933) at the Internet Movie Database
5. Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) (1952) at the Internet Movie Database
6. The Stupid Cupid (1944) at the Internet Movie Database

Based on original text by Peter Kemp, The Johann Strauss Society of Great Britain. Used with permission.

External links

• "Frühlingsstimmen" on YouTube, sung by Kathleen Battle, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, 1987 Vienna New Year's Concert