Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, op. 214

Tritsch-Tratsch is Viennese for chatter or gossip, and Strauss gave the name to a polka schnell written in 1858, shortly after returning from his first summer season at Pavlovsk. The title has been linked both to a satirical journal of the period and to a farce by Nestroy, though Strauss left no explanation. Under two minutes long, the piece runs on a chattering figure passed between woodwind and strings with almost no relaxation of tempo.