Piano, Polka, & Pointe: Mozart, Strauss, & Tchaikovsky

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major 
Johann Strauss Jr.
 Overture from Die Fledermaus (The Bat)
 FrÜhlingsstimmen, op. 410 (Voices of Spring)
 Kaiser-Waltzer, op. 437 (Emperor Waltz)
 Pizzicato Polka
 Johann Strauss Sr., Radetzky March, op. 228 
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake Suite, op. 20a 

When you think of ballet, chances are good that right after tutus and pointe shoes, your mind will conjure a Tchaikovsky earworm from the Swan Lake Suite. Movements from one of his best-known works are used liberally in film and television, creating a familiar soundtrack to a ballet performance in popular culture. A full ballet, Tchaikovsky once wrote, is not a thing with a permanent existence. This concert suite derived from his full-length work stands alone from the dance it was once meant to accompany. That doesn’t mean we don’t intend to dance anyway! The program also features a variety of favorite dances by Strauss, Jr., and Mozart’s 21st piano concerto.

Where have I heard this before?  
Often nicknamed the “Elvira Madigan” concerto, Mozart’s Concerto 21 was used as the soundtrack of a 1967 Swedish film of the same name, which tells the story of a circus performer, forbidden love, and a suicide pact.