Freuet euch des Lebens

File:Strauss Johann Sohn-Op 340 Freuet Euch des Lebens Spina.jpg

Cover of the piano score

Freuet euch des Lebens (Enjoy Life), Op. 340, is a Viennese waltz composed by Johann Strauss II. It was written for the Vienna Musikverein, and premiered at the new Musikverein building in Vienna in 1870.

Waltz 1

<score sound="1">

\relative c' {
 \new PianoStaff <<
  \new Staff { \key g \minor \time 3/4
   \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t
    \tempo "" 2. = 64
   <<
  {
     f'( d f) f( d f)( g2.~) g2 g4 a( d, a') g( c, g') g2.~ g2 f4 s\< s s s s s g2.~ g2\!
  }
   \\
  {
    d4 bes d d bes <d f,> <g, d'>2.~ <g d'>2 g4 a2 a4 g2 g4 <a ees'>2.~ <a ees'>2 ees'4 <ees f>^( c <ees f>) <d f>^( b <d f>)^( ees2.~) ees
  }
   >>
  }
  \new Dynamics {
   s\p
     }
  \new Staff { \key g \minor \time 3/4 \clef bass
     bes,,4 <f' bes d> <f bes d> f, <f' bes d> <f bes d> bes, <f' bes d> <f bes d> f, <f' bes d> <f bes d> bes, <f' bes d> <f bes d> f, <f' bes d> <f bes d> bes, <f' a ees'> <f a ees'> f, <f' a ees'> <f a ees'> a, <f' c' ees> <f c' ees> gis,4 <f' b d> <f b d> a, <f' c' ees> <f c' ees> f, <f' c' ees> <f c' ees>
  }
 >>
}

</score>

Influence

In the opening movement of his Ninth Symphony, Gustav Mahler quotes from this waltz.

Vienna New Year's Concert

The waltz was played at these Vienna New Year's Concerts:

• 1947 – Josef Krips
• 1962 – Willi Boskovsky
• 1974 – Willi Boskovsky
• 1988 – Claudio Abbado
• 1997 – Riccardo Muti
• 2008 – Georges Prêtre
• 2012 – Mariss Jansons
• 2020 – Andris Nelsons

External links

• Freuet euch des Lebens: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project