Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an
Austrian composer of
light music, particularly
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
and
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
s. He composed over 500
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
es,
polka
Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.
History
Etymology
The term ...
s,
quadrille
The quadrille is a dance that was fashionable in late 18th- and 19th-century Europe and its colonies. The quadrille consists of a chain of four to six '' contredanses''. Latterly the quadrille was frequently danced to a medley of opera melodie ...
s, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas and a ballet. In his lifetime, he was known as "The Waltz King", and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
during the 19th century. Some of Johann Strauss's most famous works include "
The Blue Danube
"The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...
", "
Kaiser-Walzer
''Kaiser-Walzer'', Op. 437 (''Emperor Waltz'') is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1889. The waltz was originally titled ''Hand in Hand'' and was intended as a toast made in August of that year by Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I on the ...
" (Emperor Waltz), "
Tales from the Vienna Woods
"Tales from the Vienna Woods" (german: "Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald", links=no, italic=no, occasionally ) is a waltz by Johann Strauss II.
Composed in 1868 in music, 1868, , Opus number, Op. 325, was one of six Viennese waltzes by Johann Stra ...
", "
Frühlingsstimmen
"", Op. 410 ("Spring's Voices," or commonly "Voices of Spring"; sometimes sung in Italian as "Voci di primavera") is an orchestral waltz, with optional solo soprano voice, written in 1882 by Johann Strauss II.
History
Strauss dedicated the wor ...
", and the "
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
, Op. 214, is a polka in A major by Johann Strauss II, written in 1858 after a successful tour of Russia where he performed in the summer concert season at Pavlovsk, Saint Petersburg. It was first performed in a concert in Vienna on 24 November 18 ...
". Among his operettas, ''
Die Fledermaus
' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874.
Background
The original ...
'' and ''
Der Zigeunerbaron
''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jok ...
'' are the best known.
Strauss was the son of
Johann Strauss I
Johann Baptist Strauss I (; also Johann Strauss Sr., the Elder, the Father; 14 March 1804 – 25 September 1849) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic music, Romantic Period. He was famous for his light music, namely waltzes, polkas, and galo ...
and his first wife Maria Anna Streim. Two younger brothers,
Josef and
Eduard Strauss
Eduard "Edi" Strauss (15 March 1835 – 28 December 1916) was an Austrian composer who, together with his brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. He was the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim. ...
, also became composers of light music, although they were never as well known as their brother.
Spelling of name
Although the name Strauss can be found in reference books frequently with "
ß" (Strauß), Strauss himself wrote his name with a
long "s" and a round "s" (Strauſs), which was a replacement form for the
Fraktur
Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...
-ß used in antique manuscripts. His family called him "Schani" (Johnny), derived from the French "Jean" with addition of the endearment ending "-i".
Early life
![Johann Strauss I (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Johann_Strauss_I_%282%29.jpg)
Strauss was born into a Catholic family in St Ulrich near Vienna (now a part of
Neubau
Neubau (; Central Bavarian: ''Neibau'') is the seventh district of Vienna (german: 7. Bezirk). It is located near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but borders changed later. Neubau is a heavily populated urban area, ...
), Austria, on 25 October 1825, to the composer
Johann Strauss I
Johann Baptist Strauss I (; also Johann Strauss Sr., the Elder, the Father; 14 March 1804 – 25 September 1849) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic music, Romantic Period. He was famous for his light music, namely waltzes, polkas, and galo ...
and his first wife, Maria Anna Streim. His paternal great-grandfather was a Hungarian Jew – a fact which the Nazis, who lionised Strauss's music as "so German", later tried to conceal. His father did not want him to become a musician but rather a banker.
Nevertheless, Strauss Jr. studied the violin secretly as a child with the first violinist of his father's orchestra,
Franz Amon Franz Amon was the lead violinist and concertmaster of the dance orchestra of Johann Strauss I.
As the elder Strauss was against a musical career for his sons, Amon was contracted secretly by Anna Strauss to teach her son Johann Strauss II, to play ...
.
When his father discovered his son secretly practising on a violin one day, he gave him a severe whipping, saying that he was going to beat the music out of the boy. It seems that rather than trying to avoid a Strauss rivalry, the elder Strauss only wanted his son to escape the rigours of a musician's life.
It was only when the father abandoned his family for a mistress, , that the son was able to concentrate fully on a career as a composer with the support of his mother.
Strauss studied
counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
and
harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
with theorist Professor Joachim Hoffmann,
who owned a private music school. His talents were also recognized by composer
Joseph Drechsler
Joseph Drechsler (26 May 1782 – 27 February 1852) was an Austrian organist, teacher, composer and conductor; in Vienna he was organist and choirmaster at several churches, and theatre conductor and composer of incidental music.
Life
Drechsler wa ...
, who taught him exercises in harmony. It was during that time that he composed his only sacred work, the
gradual
The gradual ( la, graduale or ) is a chant or hymn in the Mass, the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, and among some other Christians. It gets its name from the Latin (meaning "step") because it was once chanted ...
' (1844). His other violin teacher, Anton Kollmann, who was the ballet
répétiteur
A (from the French verb meaning 'to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse') is an accompanist, tutor or coach of ballet dancers or opera singers. A feminine form, , also appears but is comparatively rare.
Opera
In opera, a is the person ...
of the
Vienna Court Opera
The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Si ...
, also wrote excellent testimonials for him. Armed with these, he approached the Viennese authorities to apply for a license to perform.
He initially formed his small orchestra where he recruited his members at the ''Zur Stadt Belgrad'' tavern, where musicians seeking work could be hired easily.
Debut as a composer
![Johann Strauss II (4)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Johann_Strauss_II_%284%29.jpg)
Johann Strauss I's influence over the local entertainment establishments meant that many of them were wary of offering the younger Strauss a contract for fear of angering the father.
Strauss Jr. was able to persuade Dommayer's Casino in
Hietzing
Hietzing () is the 13th municipal District of Vienna (german: 13. Bezirk, Hietzing). It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings, but also contains lar ...
, a suburb of Vienna, to allow him to perform. The elder Strauss, in anger at his son's disobedience, and at that of the proprietor, refused to ever play again at Dommayer's Casino,
which had been the site of many of his earlier triumphs.
Strauss made his debut at Dommayer's in October 1844, where he performed some of his first works, such as the waltzes "
Sinngedichte
Sinngedichte (''Poems of the Senses'' or ''Epigrams''), Op. 1, is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II
Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, ...
", Op. 1 and "
Gunstwerber
''Gunstwerber'' (or ''Die Gunstwerber''; English: ''Wooers of Favour''), Op. 4, is a waltz by Johann Strauss II.
It was first played on 15 October 1844 at Strauss' début as a composer in Dommayer's Casino in Hietzing, Vienna, along with several ...
", Op. 4 and the polka "
Herzenslust
Herzenslust (''Heart's Content''), Op. 3, is a polka composed by Johann Strauss II in the fall of 1844 for his debut as a composer at the Dommayer's Casino establishment in Vienna. It was performed along with several of Strauss' other earl ...
", Op. 3.
Critics and the press were unanimous in their praise of Strauss's music. A critic for ''Der Wanderer'' commented that "Strauss's name will be worthily continued in his son; children and children's children can look forward to the future, and three-quarter time will find a strong footing in him."
![Johann Strauss II young](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Johann_Strauss_II_young.jpg)
Despite the initial fanfare, Strauss found his early years as a composer difficult, but he soon won over audiences after accepting commissions to perform away from home. The first major appointment for the young composer was his award of the honorary position of "Kapellmeister of the 2nd Vienna Citizen's Regiment", which had been left vacant following
Joseph Lanner
Joseph Franz Karl Lanner (12 April 1801 – 14 April 1843) was an Austrian dance music composer and dance orchestra conductor. He is best remembered as one of the earliest Viennese composers to reform the waltz from a simple peasant dance to s ...
's death two years before.
Vienna was wracked by the
revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire
The Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire were a set of revolutions that took place in the Austrian Empire from March 1848 to November 1849. Much of the revolutionary activity had a nationalist character: the Empire, ruled from Vienna, incl ...
, and the intense rivalry between father and son became much more apparent. The son decided to side with the revolutionaries. It was a decision that was professionally disadvantageous, as the Austrian royalty twice denied him the much coveted position of ''
KK Hofballmusikdirektor'', which was first designated especially for Johann I in recognition of his musical contributions. Further, the younger Strauss was also arrested by the Viennese authorities for publicly playing "
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du R ...
", but was later acquitted. The elder Strauss remained loyal to the monarchy and composed his "
Radetzky March
"Radetzky March", Op. 228, is a march composed by Johann Strauss Sr. and dedicated to Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz. First performed on 31 August 1848 in Vienna, it soon became popular among regimented marching soldiers. It has bee ...
", Op. 228 (dedicated to the Habsburg field marshal
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz ( en, John Joseph Wenceslaus Anthony Francis Charles, Count Radetzky of Radetz; cz, Jan Josef Václav Antonín František Karel hrabě Radecký z Radče; sl, Janez Jožef Vencelj ...
), which would become one of his best-known compositions.
When the elder Strauss died from
scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...
in Vienna in 1849, the younger Strauss merged both their orchestras and engaged in further tours.
Later, he also composed a number of patriotic marches dedicated to the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
Emperor
Franz Josef I
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the Grand title of the Emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg m ...
, such as the "Kaiser Franz-Josef Marsch" Op. 67 and the "Kaiser Franz Josef Rettungs Jubel-Marsch" Op. 126, probably to ingratiate himself in the eyes of the new monarch, who had ascended the Austrian throne after the 1848 revolution.
Career advancements
Strauss Jr. eventually attained greater fame than his father and became one of the most popular waltz composers of the era, extensively touring Austria, Poland and Germany with his orchestra. He applied for the position of ''KK Hofballmusikdirektor'' (Music Director of the Royal Court Balls), which he finally attained in 1863,
after being denied several times before for his frequent brushes with the local authorities.
In 1853, due to constant mental and physical demands, Strauss suffered a nervous breakdown.
He took a seven-week vacation in the countryside in the summer of that year on the advice of doctors. Johann's younger brother
Josef was persuaded by his family to abandon his career as an engineer and take command of Johann's orchestra in the interim.
In 1855, Strauss accepted commissions from the management of the
Tsarskoye-Selo Railway Company of
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
to play in Russia for the Vauxhall Pavilion at
Pavlovsk in 1856. He would return to perform in Russia every year until 1865.
In 1862, the 27-year-old
Eduard Strauss
Eduard "Edi" Strauss (15 March 1835 – 28 December 1916) was an Austrian composer who, together with his brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. He was the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim. ...
officially joined the Strauss orchestra as another conductor, and he and his brother Josef would lead it until 1870.
Later, in the 1870s, Strauss and his orchestra toured the United States, where he took part in the Boston Festival at the invitation of
bandmaster
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a concert band, military band, brass band or a marching band.
British Armed Forces
In the British Army, bandmasters of the Royal Corps of Army Music now hold the rank of staff s ...
Patrick Gilmore
Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore (December 25, 1829 – September 24, 1892) was an Irish-born American composer and bandmaster who lived and worked in the United States after 1848. While serving in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War, Gilmore ...
and was the lead conductor in a "Monster Concert" of over 1000 performers (see
World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival
The World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival of 1872 took place in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts. Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore directed the festival, which lasted some 18 days. The jubilee honored the ending of the Fr ...
),
performing his "
Blue Danube" waltz, amongst other pieces, to great acclaim.
As was customary at the time, requests for personal mementos from celebrities were often in the form of a lock of hair. In the case of Strauss during his visit to America, his valet obliged by clipping Strauss' black
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
dog and providing "authentic Strauss hair" to adoring female fans. However, on account of the high volume of demand, there grew a fear that the dog would be trimmed bald.
Marriages
Strauss married the singer
Henrietta Treffz
Henrietta "Jetty" Treffz (; ; 1 July 1818, in Alsergrund – 8 April 1878, in Hietzing) was best known as the first wife of Johann Strauss II and a well-known mezzo-soprano appearing in England in 1849 to great acclaim.
Biography
Henri ...
in 1862, and they remained together until her death in 1878.
Six weeks after her death,
Strauss married the actress Angelika Dittrich. Dittrich was not a fervent supporter of his music, and their differences in status and opinion, and especially her indiscretion, led him to seek a divorce.
Strauss was not granted a decree of annulment by the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore changed religion and nationality, and became a citizen of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, links=no ), was an Ernestine, Thuringian duchy ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-d ...
in January 1887.
Strauss sought solace in his third wife Adele Deutsch, whom he married in August 1887. She encouraged his creative talent to flow once more in his later years, resulting in many famous compositions, such as the
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
s ''Der Zigeunerbaron'' and ''Waldmeister'' and the waltzes "
Kaiser-Walzer
''Kaiser-Walzer'', Op. 437 (''Emperor Waltz'') is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1889. The waltz was originally titled ''Hand in Hand'' and was intended as a toast made in August of that year by Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I on the ...
" Op. 437, "Kaiser Jubiläum" Op. 434, and "Klug Gretelein" Op. 462.
Musical rivals and admirers
![Strauss und Brahms](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Strauss_und_Brahms.jpg)
Although Strauss was the most sought-after composer of dance music in the latter half of the 19th century,
Carl Michael Ziehrer
Carl Michael Ziehrer (more rarely spelled Karl Michael Ziehrer) (2 May 1843 – 14 November 1922) In the 8th edition the article title changed without comment to Ziehrer, Carl Michael. was an Austrian composer. In his lifetime, he was one of the ...
and
Émile Waldteufel
Charles Émile Waldteufel (9 December 1837 – 12 February 1915) was a French pianist, conductor and composer known for his numerous popular Salon music, salon pieces.
Life
Émile Waldteufel (German for ''forest devil'') was born at 84 Grand ...
provided stiff competition; the latter held a commanding position in Paris. Also,
Philipp Fahrbach denied the younger Strauss the commanding position of the ''KK Hofballmusikdirektor'' when the latter first applied for the post. The German operetta composer
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...
, who made his name in Paris, also posed a challenge to Strauss in the
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
field.
Strauss was admired by other prominent composers:
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
once admitted that he liked the waltz "
Wein, Weib und Gesang
''Wein, Weib und Gesang'' (''Wine, Woman, and Song''), Op. 333, is a Viennese waltz by Johann Strauss II. It is a choral waltz in its original form, although it is seldom heard in this version today. It was commissioned for the Vienna Men's Cho ...
" (Wine, Women and Song) Op. 333.
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
(unrelated), when writing his ''
Rosenkavalier'' waltzes, said in reference to Johann Strauss, "How could I forget the laughing genius of Vienna?"
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...
was a personal friend of Strauss; the latter dedicated his waltz "
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Seid umschlungen, Millionen! (''Be Embraced, You Millions!''), opus 443, is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II. It was first performed at the Great Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna in March 1892. The title of the waltz was borrowed from Friedri ...
" ("Be Embraced, You Millions!"), Op. 443, to him. A story is told in biographies of both men that Strauss's wife Adele approached Brahms with a customary request that he autograph her fan. It was usual for the composer to inscribe a few measures of his best-known music, and then sign his name. Brahms, however, inscribed a few measures from the "Blue Danube", and then wrote beneath it: "Unfortunately, NOT by Johannes Brahms."
Stage works
The most famous of Strauss' operettas are ''
Die Fledermaus
' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874.
Background
The original ...
'', ''
Eine Nacht in Venedig
'' Eine Nacht in Venedig '' (''A Night in Venice'') is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II. Its libretto was by F. Zell and Richard Genée based on ''Le Château Trompette'' by Eugène Cormon and Richard Genée. The farcical, romantic ...
'', and ''
Der Zigeunerbaron
''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jok ...
''. There are many dance pieces drawn from themes of his operettas, such as "Cagliostro-Walzer" Op. 370 (from ''
Cagliostro in Wien
' (''Cagliostro in Vienna'') is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II to a libretto by F. Zell and Richard Genée. It premiered on 27 February 1875 at the Theater an der Wien, featuring Marie Geistinger and Alexander Girardi.
Reception
T ...
''), "O Schöner Mai" Walzer Op. 375 (from ''
Prinz Methusalem
''Prinz Methusalem'' (''Prince Methusalem'') is an operetta written by Johann Strauss II to a libretto by Karl Treumann, after Victor Wilder and Alfred Delacour. It was first performed on January 3, 1877 in Vienna at the Carltheater
The Carlth ...
''), "
Rosen aus dem Süden
Rosen aus dem Süden (''Roses From the South''), Op. 388, is a waltz medley composed by Johann Strauss II in 1880 in music, 1880 with its themes drawn from the operetta ''Das Spitzentuch der Königin'' (''The Queen's Lace Handkerchief''). Strauss ...
" Walzer Op. 388 (from ''
Das Spitzentuch der Königin
' (''The Queen's Lace Handkerchief'') is an operetta by Johann Strauss II. The libretto by Heinrich Bohrmann-Riegen and Richard Genée was based on the Spanish writer Cervantes.
It was first performed on 1 October 1880 in Vienna at the Theater ...
''), and "
Kuss-Walzer
The Kuss-Walzer (Kiss Waltz), Op. 400 is a waltz by Johann Strauss II composed in 1881. The waltz was originally dedicated to his second wife, Angelika Dittrich (1850–1919), but Strauss withdrew that dedication after their divorce in 1882. The w ...
" op. 400 (from ''
Der lustige Krieg
''Der lustige Krieg'' (''The Merry War'') is a three-act operetta composed by Johann Strauss II. The work was first performed on 25 November 1881 at the Theater an der Wien. Its libretto was by F. Zell ( Camillo Walzel) and Richard Genée. The ...
''), that have survived obscurity and become well-known. Strauss also wrote an opera, ''
Ritter Pázmán
''Ritter Pázmán'' (''Knight Pazman'') is a three-act opera composed by Johann Strauss II, with the libretto by Ludwig Dóczi. It premiered at the Hofoper in Vienna on New Year's Day in 1892. It is based on a Hungarian narrative poem, ''Pázmá ...
'', and was in the middle of composing a ballet, ''
Aschenbrödel
''Aschenbrödel'' (''Cinderella'') is a ballet written by Johann Strauss II. He had written all the principal parts of the ballet, and was intending to fill in the orchestration as time permitted. However, Strauss died in 1899, and it was finishe ...
'', when he died in 1899.
Death and legacy
![Strauss Monument](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Strauss_Monument.JPG)
Strauss was diagnosed with
pleuropneumonia
Pleuropneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and pleura, pleurisy being the inflammation of the pleura alone.
See also
* Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia – a disease in cattle
* Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
Contagious caprine pleurop ...
, and on 3 June 1899 he died in Vienna, at the age of 73. He was buried in the
Zentralfriedhof
The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...
. At the time of his death, he was still composing his ballet ''Aschenbrödel''.
As a result of the efforts by
Clemens Krauss
Clemens Heinrich Krauss (31 March 189316 May 1954) was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and Richard Wagner.
Krauss was born in Vienna to Clementine Krauss, the ...
, who performed a special all-Strauss programme in 1929 with the
Vienna Philharmonic
The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...
, Strauss's music is now regularly performed at the annual
Vienna New Year's Concert
The Vienna New Year's Concert () is an annual concert of classical music performed by the Vienna Philharmonic on the morning of New Year's Day in Vienna, Austria. The concert occurs at the Musikverein at 11:15. The orchestra performs the same c ...
. Distinguished Strauss interpreters include
Willi Boskovsky
Willibald Karl Boskovsky (16 June 1909 – 21 April 1991) was an Austrian violinist and conductor, best known as the long-standing conductor of the Vienna New Year's Concert from 1955 to 1979.
Biography
Boskovsky was born in Vienna, and joined the ...
, who carried on the ' tradition of conducting with violin in hand, as was the Strauss family custom, as well as
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan (; born Heribert Ritter von Karajan; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, wit ...
,
Carlos Kleiber
Carlos Luis Bonifacio Kleiber (3 July 1930 – 13 July 2004) was an Austrian conductor who is widely regarded as among the greatest conductors of all time.
Early life
Kleiber was born as Karl Ludwig Bonifacius Kleiber in Berlin in 1930, the ...
,
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...
,
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Mehta's father was the foun ...
and
Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale ...
. In addition, the
Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester
Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester (Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna.
The orchestra was formed under the auspices of Professor Oskar Goger and the ORF (Austrian Radio) in 1966. Eduard Strauss II, nephew of ...
, which was formed in 1966, pays tribute to the touring orchestras which once made the Strauss family so famous. In 1987 Dutch violinist and conductor
André Rieu
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.
Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...
also created a
Johann Strauss Orchestra
The Johann Strauss Orchestra is a pops orchestra founded in the Netherlands by André Rieu in 1987. The orchestra is well known for performing classical works with a distinctly unorthodox frivolity, joking with the audience and performing all s ...
.
Eduard Strauss surprisingly wound up the Strauss Orchestra on 13 February 1901 after concerts in 840 cities around the globe, and pawned the instruments. The orchestra's last violins were destroyed in the firestorm of the Second World War.
Most of the Strauss works that are performed today may once have existed in a slightly different form, as Eduard Strauss destroyed much of the original Strauss orchestral archives in a furnace factory in Vienna's
Mariahilf
Mariahilf (; Central Bavarian: ''Mariahüf'') is the 6th municipal district of Vienna, Austria (german: 6. Bezirk). It is near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850. Mariahilf is a heavily populated urban area with many re ...
district in 1907. Eduard, then the only surviving brother of the three, took this drastic precaution after agreeing to a pact between himself and brother Josef that whoever outlived the other was to destroy their works. The measure was intended to prevent the Strauss family's works from being claimed by another composer. This may also have been fueled by Strauss's rivalry with another of Vienna's popular waltz and march composers,
Karl Michael Ziehrer
Carl Michael Ziehrer (more rarely spelled Karl Michael Ziehrer) (2 May 1843 – 14 November 1922) In the 8th edition the article title changed without comment to Ziehrer, Carl Michael. was an Austrian composer. In his lifetime, he was one of the ...
.
Two museums in Vienna are dedicated to Johann Strauss II. His
residence in the Praterstrasse, where he lived in the 1860s, is now part of the
Vienna Museum
The Vienna Museum (german: Wien Museum or ''Museen der Stadt Wien'') is a group of museums in Vienna consisting of the museums of the history of the city. In addition to the main building in Karlsplatz and the Hermesvilla, the group includes nume ...
. The
Strauss Museum
The Museum of the Strauss Dynasty (Strauss Museum) in Vienna is a museum dedicated to the Strauss family: Johann I, Johann II, Josef, Eduard and Johann III.
Museum
The Museum of the Strauss Dynasty was founded by the private association Kult ...
is about the whole family, with a focus on Johann Strauss II.
Portrayals in the media
![Johann Strauss II, silhouette](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Johann_Strauss_II%2C_silhouette.jpg)
The lives of the Strauss dynasty members are the subject of several film and television features, such as ''
The Great Waltz'' (1938), remade
in 1972; ''
The Strauss Family
''The Strauss Family'' is a 1972 British Associated Television series of eight episodes,Acorn DVD sleeve notes about the family of composers of that name, including Johann Strauss I and his sons Johann Strauss II, Eduard Strauss and Josef Strau ...
'' (1972); ''The Strauss Dynasty'' (1991) and ''Strauss, the King of 3/4 Time'' (1995). Many other films used his works and melodies.
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
made a low-budget biographical film of Strauss in 1934 called ''
Waltzes from Vienna
''Waltzes from Vienna'' is a 1934 British biographical film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, sometimes known as ''Strauss' Great Waltz''. It was part of the cycle of operetta films made in Britain during the 1930s.
Hitchcock's film is based on the ...
''. After a trip to Vienna,
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
was inspired to create four feature films. One of those was ''The Waltz King'', a loosely adapted biopic of Strauss, which aired as part of ''
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...
'' in the U.S. in 1963.
Works
References
Citations
General and cited sources
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
Gänzl, Kurt (2001). ''The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre'' (3 volumes). New York:
Schirmer Books
G. Schirmer, Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. The oldest active music publisher in the United States, Schirmer publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-know ...
. .
External links
A complete list of Strauss's compositionsA complete list of compositions by Johann Strauss IIcompiled by the Johann Strauss Society of New York
*
ttps://atom.lib.byu.edu/obps/search/?adv=person%3A%28Johann+Strauss%29 List of Strauss worksat the Index to Opera and Ballet Sources Online
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strauss, Johann 2
1825 births
1899 deaths
19th-century Austrian composers
19th-century classical composers
19th-century male musicians
Artists from Coburg
Austrian male classical composers
Austrian opera composers
Austrian operetta composers
Austrian people of German descent
Austrian people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
Austrian Protestants
Austrian Romantic composers
Ballet composers
Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery
Composers from Vienna
Converts to Protestantism from Roman Catholicism
Deaths from pneumonia in Austria-Hungary
Light music composers
Male opera composers
Male operetta composers
People from Neubau