Verdi called Johann Strauss II a ‘colleague and genius’, while Johannes Brahms admitted that of all his fellow composers he was ‘the only one I envy’. From the remotest parts of South America to the large concert halls of Japan, people in all parts of the world are still enthralled by the ‘fascination of Strauss’. This new album – recorded by the leading Strauss ensemble with an authentic orchestra of fortytwo musicians – provides proof that this music is as full of life and genius and as up to date as ever. This live recording was made as part of the Jubilee Concert in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the orchestra and presents a broad cross-section of the repertoire that the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra has been cultivating intensively since its foundation in 1966. For this recording the conductor is Alfred Eschwé, an internationally recognised Strauss expert, who, together with the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra, has produced these outstanding and particularly authentic performances. Immerse yourself in the musical world of the Strauss family and discover some carefully researched background information from the Strauss specialists at the Vienna City Library in the forty-eight-page booklet with numerous contemporary illustrations.