Strauss in St. Petersburg

In his heyday, Johann Strauss II traveled far and wide giving concerts. One favorite venue was the Vauxhall pavilion in Pavlovsk, near St Petersburg, where he performed for 11 seasons. Much of the music on this album was written for Russian aristocrats and there are some real treasures. The recording also marks two important anniversaries: the 80th birthday of the conductor Neeme Järvi and the 90th of the fine Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. Together, they introduce some novelties while also serving up some of Strauss’s undisputed hits.