The overture to “Die drei Wünsche” by Carl Michael Ziehrer is an absolute rarity. Alongside the Strauss family, Ziehrer represents Austrian musical tradition like few others. I experienced the worldwide fascination with Viennese operetta music during a workshop on this genre which I had the pleasure of presenting at the MidWest Clinic in Chicago.

The recording of the world’s first arrangement was made by the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy under the direction of its conductor Erik v...