Lucifer Polka

We leap from “the Sibyl of the Rhine” to “the Waltz King,” Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899). Literally worlds away from Hildegard, we catch up with Strauss among the glittering palaces of 19th-century Vienna for which he penned well over 500 dances. And despite occasional successes in light opera and theater, Strauss is remembered today for the dozen or so widely-known waltzes (such as The Blue Danube and Tales from the Vienna Woods) that helped formalize the genre. For the occasion of a dance sponsored by the Hesperus Arts Society in February 1862, Strauss composed his vibrant Lucifer Polka. The work opens with two rapid crescendos and proceeds into a three-part polka in ABA form. In little more than two minutes, the entire piece is finished. Despite the sinister associations of the work’s title, the reference is actually to the morning star, Venus (called Lucifer when shining in the morning sky, compared to Hesperus in the evening). The music itself shows nothing but festive good cheer amidst symbol crashes and a boisterous violin theme. To be honest, it could equally go about under any other name (Morning Star Polka, Linzer-Torte Polka, or what you will) but that disconnect between devilish title and scintillating music does nothing to diminish its appeal.

(c) Jason Stell