Herzenslust - Polka, Op. 3

My orchestration of another piece from Johann Strauss's debut concert in Dommayer's in October 1844. This has been recorded before as part of the complete edition, and it's a very jolly performance. Two problems with it, as far as I am concerned - It's arranged for a huge orchestra (trombones and a percussion section including the kitchen sink). From memory Strauss’s first orchestra had 14 players in it. I have scored for four woodwind, three brass and one percussion player and string quintet, although I have multiplied the string players for performance. It's too fast. This is not a polka schnell. That dance doesn't start appearing until about a decade after the date of this piece. This is just a polka ... in polka tempo. The faster tempo sounds rushed to me. It falls between two stools. If it is written to be a quick polka, and it doesn't as if it was, then it is too slow. For an old style polka, it is too quick.