Hellenen-Polka, op. 203

The Hellenen-Polka carries the opus number 203 and belongs to 1858, a year in which Strauss was writing for both the Viennese carnival and the summer concerts at Pavlovsk near St Petersburg, where he had held the season contract since 1856. The Greek reference in the title is decorative rather than musical — Strauss attached exotic names to dances routinely, tying them to a ball, a society or a fashion of the moment. The piece is a French polka, moderate in step, and survives mainly through Viennese New Year programming.