The Zwölf Walzer' originated in a time when the classic waltz was far from being socially accepted. It was still considered a somewhat scandalous dance of the lower classes and became the latest trend in the salons of the nobility only after the Congress of Vienna. With his 12 waltzes, composed during his first Parisian phase in 1811, Neukomm was on the cutting edge of the musical consciousness of his age, even though it is hard for us today to perceive this music as scandalous. An ideal comp...