The operetta contains a satirical attack on militaristic posturing and Germanic arrogance, translating Emperor Wilhelm II's instruction to 'rage like the Huns' into a parodic song.
Composer Biography
Oscar Straus's operetta "Walzertraum" (Waltz Dream) launched a worldwide Viennese fashion in 1907, influencing Broadway and establishing him as a pioneer of the musical genre.
Critical Reception
The operetta "Die lustigen Nibelungen" achieved its greatest success in Berlin, where audiences understood its parodies of contemporary German society and Richard Wagner's works.
Composition History
Oscar Straus, known as a house composer for a Berlin cabaret, renewed the Viennese operetta genre with "Die lustigen Nibelungen" (The Merry Nibelungs).
Composer Biography
Oscar Straus, though born in Vienna, was not related to the famous Strauss dynasty of composers.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in Cologne, Germany, between January 31 and February 17, 1995, and was produced by Harald Banter.
Critical Reception
Performances of "Die lustigen Nibelungen" were eventually halted due to violent demonstrations by German-nationalist groups who saw it as a mockery of their Nibelung saga.
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