The Viennese Dance Series for Chamber Ensembles

Johann Strauss Jr.

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Unter Donner und Blitz Polka, Op.324

For Piano, 2 Violins, Cello & Bass or Piano Trio or

Piano, 2 Violins and Cello

The Unter Donner und Blitz Polka, (thunder and lightning in English)  was composed in 1868 in Vienna for the Artists' Ball. Possibly the noisiest of Strauss' dance pieces, Unter Donner und Blitz was meant to evoke the sound of thunder and lightning. Sometimes the piano, other times the cello create a loud thunder roll with a quick chromatic passage every four measures while the piano creates crashes representing lightning on each beat of the detached descending melody. Clearly, Strauss sought to amuse as much as compose a successful piece of music. Nonetheless, its lively, high spirits made it an immediate hit and one of the most popular works that Strauss ever wrote. It was originally intended for his small orchestra of around 30 players but arrangements of it for much smaller and more intimate groups were almost immediately made from the time it was published so that it could be heard in the cafes and coffee houses throughout Vienna. We offer it in three of the more common arrangements.

(A) Piano Trio-Parts	$13.95
(B) Piano Quartet (2Violins, Cello & Piano)-Parts	$15.95
(C) Piano Quintet (2 Violins, Cello, Bass  & Piano--Parts	$19.95