Ion Ivanovici

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Ion Ivanovici

Ion Ivanovici (alternatively, Iosif Ivanovici, Josef Ivanovici, baptised as Jovan Ivanović) (born 1845 in Timişoara, died September 28, 1902 in Bucharest) was a Romanian military band leader and composer, remembered today for his waltz The Waves of the Danube. His interest in music began after he learned to play a flute given to him when he was a child.^[1] Later, he enrolled in the 6th Army Regiment, where he also learned to play the clarinet. His talent for music soon led him to become among the best musicians in the regiment, and he continued to study with Emil Lehr, one of the most prominent musicians of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Ivanovici later became a bandmaster, and toured Romania. In 1900, he was appointed Inspector of Military Music, a position that he held until his death.^[1]

Although today Ivanovici is chiefly remembered for his waltz The Waves of the Danube, Donauwellen in German, in his lifetime he composed over 350 dances, and his works were published by over sixty publishing houses throughout the world.^[1] In 1889, Ivanovici won the coveted march prize to mark the World Exhibition in Paris, out of 116 entries.^[1]

Ivanovici's Dabube Waves was first published in the U.S. in 1896, and republished in 1903, by the Theodore Lohr Company in an arrangement for piano by Simon Adler. The published version was called "Waves of the Danube". The composition is most commonly known as "Danube Waves Waltz".

In 1946, Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin adapted Ivanovici's music to Danube Waves for the pop song Anniversary Song ("Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed"), credited to Jolson, Chaplin, and Ivanovici, which was featured in Jolson's biographical Columbia movie The Jolson Story and also appeared in the movies A Guy Thing in 2003, Payback with Mel Gibson in 1999, Avalon in 1990, Falling in Love Again in 1980, and Blondie's Anniversary in 1947. In 1947, Chaim Tauber copyrighted a Yiddish version known as Anniversary Waltz with music by Ivanovici.

Al Jolson introduced Ivanovici's music to mainstream American pop in 1946 when he released The Anniversary Song, with music by Ivanovici, on Decca. Dinah Shore released a version of the song on Columbia. Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra featuring Garry Stevens and the Mello Larks on vocals released a version of the song in 1947 on RCA Victor. Artie Shaw and His New Music Orchestra released a version the same year. Joni James released a version of the song on her 1958 MGM album Among My Souvenirs. Andy Russell and Paul Weston released a version on Capitol Records with vocals. Guitarist Django Reinhardt and the Quintette Du Hot Club De France released a version in 1947 on Blue Star as a 78, Blue Star 33.

Frank Sinatra performed The Anniversary Song with music by Ivanovici for radio broadcast. The recording is available on the Frank Sinatra collection The Radio Years. Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Eva Cassidy, Mitch Miller, Andy Williams, and Guy Lombardo also performed and recorded the song.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of violinist John Georgiadis has performed Iosif Ivanovici's Erzherzog Carl Ludwig March, Op. 129, at the Barbican Centre in London in the UK during the Viennese New Year's Eve Gala held on December 31, 2008.

Iosif Ivanovici's most famous composition is Waves of the Danube Waltz or Danube Waves Waltz (1880) and he is remembered as the "Waltz King of Romania". Ivanovici's other works include:

Erzherzog Carl Ludwig March, Op. 129
La Serenade
The Daughter of the Boatman, or Schiffers Tochterlein (La Fille du Marin)* Seufzer Waltz (Sigh Waltz)
Sinaia Waltz
Szerenade Zigeuneren (Gypsy Serenade)
Carmen Sylva Waltz from 1892
Mariana Polka
Romania's Heart Waltz, Op. 51
Incognito Waltz
Abschied van Focsani March (Farewell to Focsani March)
Vision de l'Orient Waltz (Vision of the East), Op. 147
Meteor Waltz
Im Mondemglanz Waltz (Moonglow Waltz), Op. 122
Magic of the Mountains Waltz
Liebes Klange Polka (Love of Music Polka)
Storm Galopp
Wild Flowers Waltz
Abendtraume Polka-Mazurka (Evening Dream Polka-Mazurka)
Agatha Waltz
Der Liebesbote Waltz (Messenger of Love Waltz), Op. 136
Easy, like a Dream, also known as Legere, comme un reve in French and Leicht, wie der Traum in German
Poker Polka, Op. 123
Am Hofe der Czarin Waltz (In the Courts of the Princess Waltz), Op. 124
Die Ballkönigin Waltz (King of the Ball Waltz), Op. 127
Goldene Stunden Waltz (Golden Hours Waltz), Op. 128 from 1893
Céline Polka-Mazurka, Op. 130
Natalia Waltz, Op. 134
Beim Pfanderspiel Polka, Op. 137
Bluthenzauber Waltz, Op. 149
Lieb' um Liebe Waltz (Love for Love Waltz), Op. 155
Alina Waltz
Amalia Waltz
Life in Cyprus
Souvenir de Brăila Quadrille
Aurel Waltz
Cleopatra Waltz
Elena Polka-Mazurka
Farmecul Pelesului
Fata pescarului
Frumoasa romanca Waltz
Frumosii ochi albastri Song
Hora micilor dorobanti
Herzliebchen Waltz
Kalinderu March
La balul curtii Mazurka
Luceafarul Waltz
Military March
Marsul Carol
L'Odalisque Polka-Mazurka
Pe Dunare Mazurka
Placerea balului Mazurka
Porumbeii albi
Die Konigin des Morgens or The King of the Morning
Rosina Polka from 1902
Sarba motilor
Suvenire Quadrille
Maus Polka or Mouse Polka
Tatiana Waltz
Roses from the Orient Waltz
Viata la Bucuresti Waltz
Visuri de aur Waltz
Zana Dunarii
Anniversary Waltz
Bavarian Landler
Kaiserreise or Voyage Imperial March
La Bella Roumaine Waltz from 1901

DISCOGRAPHY

The following CD collections contain performances of "Waves of the Danube" and other compositions by Ivanovici:

Wedding Celebrations, Naxos, 1994. Contains Waves of the Danube.

Great Waltzes, Naxos, 1995. Contains Waves of the Danube.

Favorite Waltzes, EMI Classics, 1995. Contains Waves of the Danube.

Music from Vienna, Novalis, 2004. The Vienna Johann Strauss Chamber Orchestra under Johannes Wildner performs Donauwellen.

Waves of the Danube-Iosif Ivanovici, produced by the Johann Strauss Societies of Great Britain and Romania, Electrecord: EDC 600. Contains Waves of the Danube and other compositions by Ivanovici.