Smithsonian Associates Seminar "The Splendor and Spirit of Vienna: The Music of Johann Strauss" Carol & Herbert Traxler with lecturer Yvonne Caruthers

Performers Carol & Herbert Traxler

"The Splendor and Spirit of Vienna: The Music of Johann Strauss"
With Viennese Luncheon and Live Music and Dance Performance
All-day Seminar on Saturday, December 4, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the Year of Johann Strauss (1825-1899) and learn about his joyous music in the beautiful ballroom of the Willard Hotel. In a setting reminiscent of the splendid dance halls where Strauss led the orchestra with his violin, enjoy the music, food, and dancing of 19th-century Vienna. National Symphony Orchestra cellist Yvonne Caruthers, a dynamic Smithsonian music lecturer, hosts this festive day.

9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The Strauss Dynasty
Johann Strauss (the father) (1804-1849), created an unforgettable legacy of music that came to symbolize the culture of Old Vienna. Selections include early music and his most famous work, the Radetzky March, which traditionally concludes the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day concert.

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Johann Strauss, the Son
By the 1860s Johann and his less famous brothers, Josef and Eduard, virtually controlled the music scene in Vienna. Excerpts from operettas Die Fledermaus and The Gypsy Baron, and from the waltzes, including the legendary Tales of the Vienna Woods.

12:30 to 2 p.m. Traditional Viennese Luncheon
Dine on beef goulash soup, Wiener schnitzel, sauteed potatoes and sweet peas with pearl onions, Sacher torte, and coffee.

2 to 3 p.m. Waltzing in Vienna
Accompanied by the dance music that brought Strauss fame, dancers Carol and Herbert Traxler, noted for their waltz lessons at the Austrian Embassy for those attending the Viennese Opera Ball, perform traditional waltzes and the graceful, swirling Viennese waltz.

3 to 4 p.m. Piano Performance
Pianists Rob and Vicky Wyatt, whose recent Washington performances include recitals at the Kennedy Center, the Phillips Collection, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and a live broadcast on PBS, bring the day to a festive close with a performance of several Strauss selections.

Location: Willard Hotel Balloom, Fourteenth St. & Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. (Smithsonian Associates site)