Friedenspalmen op. 207

This waltz is an absolute masterpiece! It stood completely wrongly in the shadow of Strauß's world successes. First performed on 18.11.1866, the waltz sounded for the first time under Daniel Barenboim 2014 at the New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic! For the first time, a truly successful transcription is available here, ideally suited for wind orchestras!

The summer of 1866 brought the defeat of the Austrian army at Königgrätz. The subsequent peace agreement meant a loss of territory for Austria and the rise of Prussia to the dominant power in Europe. In his waltz "Friedenspalmen", Joseph Strauß hints above all at the prevailing war fatigue among the population at the time. The title page of the piano edition shows an angel holding a branch of a palm tree. The waltz is characterized by melancholy on the one hand and joy at life returning to normal on the other.