Romanze No. 2 in G minor, Op. 255 (Dolci Pianti) [transcription]: Full Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Condensed Score

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) composed his Romanze No. 2 in G minor, Op. 255 during the summer of 1860 at Pavlovsk, Russia, while conducting his annual season of concerts near St. Petersburg. Unlike the waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles for which he became famous, the piece reveals Strauss's more intimate lyrical manner, with the cello assuming an almost vocal role over a gently colored accompaniment. Its first documented Viennese performance took place on December 1, 1860, at the Sperl ballroom, where it was presented together with Strauss's earlier Romanze No. 1, Op. 243; the work was dedicated to Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg. Strauss's orchestral manuscript was subsequently lost or unavailable, and the Austrian conductor, composer, and Strauss authority Max Schönherr (1903-1984) later reconstructed/orchestrated the work from the surviving piano version, retaining the solo cello as the principal melodic voice. Schönherr's version was consequently used in modern performances and recordings before Strauss's own orchestral score was rediscovered in Russia, and it was notably recorded by cellist Regina Jauslin with the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice, conducted by Christian Pollack. The designation "Dolci pianti" ("Sweet Tears") sometimes attached to Schönherr's edition of Op. 255 is historically misleading: Dolci pianti is a separate, later Strauss romance associated with his 1863 Pavlovsk season, originally conceived as a vocal piece with cello, harp, and orchestra and subsequently heard in instrumental form. Today, Romanze No. 2 in G minor, Op. 255, including Max Schönherr's orchestral realization, remains well outside the standard cello-and-orchestra repertoire and is rarely programmed compared with Strauss's celebrated dance music, but recordings, modern editions, and occasional performances have preserved it as an appealing example of the composer's lesser-known concert music and of the lyrical writing for solo cello that emerged from his Russian seasons. Instrumentation: 1.0.0.2: 3.0.0.0: Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set): Solo Cello in set: CS (Pno-Cond) in set. Reprint edition for the Schönherr transcription.