My orchestration from the piano score of this waltz by Johann Strauss II. It was first performed on Nov. 19th 1844 in Dommayer’s casino. The original orchestration has been lost. The only recording I have heard is in a version for an enormous orchestra. Mine is for an orchestra of approximately the size Strauss had in 1844, although I probably have more strings.

Each to his own and if what you want is anachronistic but in a familiar style then that is fine by me. I do think you have to play what Strauss wrote, at least, though.

The opening is marked presto.
The following section is Adagio (I took it as slowly as I could get away with)
The first note of the little march is staccato, not slurred.
The first half bar of the march is not staccato. When the figure is repeated, it still isn’t.
Waltz 1B phrasing is just wrong. The score shows 4 groups of 3 notes with a break before the scale, not 3 groups of three with the fourth group stuck on to the scale.

I stopped looking at that point.

I’m finding it difficult to resist the temptation to produce my own version for large orchestra in a later style. I’m not sure the material will take the strain.

I do find these early works incredible. Ok, it’s not mature Strauss but it is completely individual in style. There’s nothing of his father or Lanner here. I was trying to work out the difference and I think it’s mostly down to the melodies. There’s much more reliance placed on the tunes rather than rhythmic effects. Is that just because he knew he couldn’t do that with such a small orchestra or that it just came out like that. Whatever the reason, nobody is doing it better in 1844, his father included.

It doesn’t sound very harem like, though.