Alfred Grünfeld

Soirée de Vienne op. 56

Born in Prague in 1852, Alfred Grünfeld became a "chamber virtuoso" as a pianist in Vienna during the 1870s and was well-connected within the musical circles of the Danube metropolis. Johann Strauss Jr. held him in such high regard that he gladly had Grünfeld perform his new waltz compositions and dedicated his "Voices of Spring Waltz" to him. Considering this familiarity, it is no surprise that in his concert paraphrase Soirée de Vienne, op. 56, Grünfeld pieced together popular Strauss melodies (primarily from Die Fledermaus) into a brilliant fantasy for piano. This dazzling tribute to Johann Strauss and the Viennese waltz calls for a truly virtuoso piano technique, agility – and, of course, a feel for the indispensable "Viennese charm". With its carefully revised, clearly legible notation, the Henle edition offers the ideal starting point from which to launch oneself into Vienna’s waltz frenzy.