TAUSIG, CARL  BIOGRAPHY

Another transcriber who transformed Strausss original waltz themes into pianistic masterpieces was Carl Tausig (1841-1871). A Franz Liszt pupil, he settled in Vienna in 1861 and published his first suite of three Nouvelles Soires de Vienne a year later. Subtitled, Valses-Caprices daprs Strauss, the works were intended to follow in the footsteps of Liszts Soires de Vienne (Valses-Caprices daprs Schubert), to whom Tausig dedicated his set. In ValseCaprice No. 2 daprs J. Strauss II (Man lebt nur einmal, Op. 167) Tausig weaves an intriguing path through Strausss themes tinged with unusual harmonies, occasional dissonant chords and enharmonic sleighs-of-hand.