Josef Mayburger Blick auf Schloss Orth am Traunsee 1863

'' Die Libelle ''(''The Dragonfly'') Op. 204 is a polka-mazurka composed by

Josef Strauss Josef Strauss (20 August 1827 – 22 July 1870) was an Austrian composer. He was born in Mariahilf (now Vienna), the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim, and brother of Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss. His father wanted him to cho ...

in 1866.

Background

Josef Strauss and his wife Caroline visited

Traunstein Traunstein (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a much larger Traunstein (district), district of the same name. The town serves as a local government, retail, health se ...

and lake

Traunsee Traunsee ( , ) is a lake in the Salzkammergut, Upper Austria, Austria. Its surface is approximately 24.5 km2 and its maximum depth of 191 metres makes it the deepest and by volume largest lake located entirely within Austrian territory; only ...

in 1866. At that time, Josef saw

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

flying on the water surface. Inspired by this experience, he composed the polka-mazurka ''Die Libelle''. This work was premiered on 21 October 1866, immediately after the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...

, when the Austrian mood was still gloomy following its defeat.

Brahms's recording

''Die Libelle'' was recorded by

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

, together with his own Hungarian Dance no. 1 in 1889. The recording was severely damaged in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

References

External links

Josef Strauss Die Libelle / Polka mazurka op. 204 (1866)
– Commentary by Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester（WJSO） {{DEFAULTSORT:Libelle, Die Compositions by Josef Strauss Polkas 1866 compositions Fiction about insects