Thunder and Lightning

Description

A storm of thunder and lightning is the subject of this polka schnell, or fast polka, by Johann Strauss II: Unter Donner und Blitz, Op. 324, published in 1868. Of the many dances he wrote for Viennese balls, it is one of the most often played today.

In the orchestral version the percussion supplies the thunder; in this piano version it becomes heavy strokes in the bass and tremolos. In G major and 2/4, it lasts about 3 minutes 14 seconds and has 2,454 notes; at twelve to thirteen notes per second, the quick two-beat pulse of the polka drives it from start to finish. The range runs from G1 up to A6.

Switching at speed between the light melody and the powerful bass that depicts the storm calls for agility in this advanced polka. Tremolos cannot be sustained with a tense arm, so keep the wrist loose. Isolate the tremolo and accented passages with the A-B loop, slow the playback and check each hand's role with the hand colours, and then move gradually back to full speed.

A broad collection of standalone piano pieces not belonging to any specific set, offering hundreds of varied character pieces to explore and compare.