Phönix-Schwingen
waltz
Phönix-Schwingen (Phoenix's Wings) op. 125 is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1853. Strauss has amalgamated his late father's orchestra with his own in 1849 and with the new responsibility, was expected to rehearse, organise, compose, orchestrate, and lastly, conduct at two or three venues on the same day. During the hectic years of 1851 and 1852, Strauss exerted himself and after a tiring tour of Germany late 1852, he was taken seriously ill.
Many of his engagements were forced to be cancelled although Strauss felt sufficiently well to appear at his benefit concert at the Sofienbad-Saal ballroom on January 16, 1853 along with his new waltz 'Phönix-Schwingen'. The title suggested a possible reference to himself, having like the mythical bird, 'risen from the ashes'. However, Strauss' interesting title may well refer to the unpopular Vienna transport enterprise 'Phoenix' which had promised faster and cheaper travel intending to rival the traditional Viennese 'fiaker'. The enterprise proved to be no more than a flash in the pan and foundered after a mere few days.
Whether meaning the mythical creature or the enterprise, Strauss' work is very brisk and stylish, with rising arpeggios and effective motif usage. The work was dedicated to Hans Guido von Bülow.
The public source identifies “Phönix-Schwingen” as waltz. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Phönix-Schwingen and waltz.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Phönix-Schwingen”, the useful work is to connect “waltz” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 28, 2021. The linked authority identifier is Q784617. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1853, 1849, 1851 and 1852.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Phönix-Schwingen”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Phönix-Schwingen primary sources, Phönix-Schwingen archive and Phönix-Schwingen research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Phönix-Schwingen”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Phönix-Schwingen” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.