Suite of Five Little Pieces from Vienna (1936)

Suite of Five Little Pieces from Vienna for symphony orchestra, composed in 1936, is a delightful musical journey through the heart of Vienna, captured in five vivid and beautifully crafted scenes: Schubert’s Birthplace (I), Ballet in the Opera House (II), Changing of the Guard at the Burg-Ring (III), In Grinzing – Viennese Song (IV), and Merry-Go-Round in the Prater (V). Each movement offers a glimpse into the charm, tradition, and lively spirit of the city.

Premiered on December 14, 1937, and broadcast on the BBC National Service, the suite was performed by the esteemed BBC Theatre Orchestra, led by Tate Gilder and conducted by Stanford Robinson.

Celebrated for its melodic warmth and vivid character, the suite stood out among Burger’s works, succeeding where others had not: it became the only non-commissioned piece of his to be broadcast by the BBC before he immigrated to the United States in 1939. Suite of Five Little Pieces from Vienna remains a captivating tribute to the city of music, offering listeners a nostalgic and colorful musical postcard from pre-war Vienna.

Movements
I. Schubert's Birthplace
II. Ballet in the Opera House
III. Changing the Guard at Burg-Ring
IV. In Grinzing – Viennese Song
V. Merry-Go-Round in the Prater

About the Exilarte Edition
G. Schirmer/Wise Music’s Exilarte Edition exclusively publishes works by composers who were persecuted, forced into exile, or murdered by the Nazi regime. All original manuscripts of these works are archived in the Exilarte Center at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria.