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Through much of the 19th century, Viennese dance music was
dominated by Johann Strauss, Sr., and his two sons, Johann,
Jr., and Eduard. (Other composers bearing the Strauss name
are not related: Oscar, remembered primarily for his operetta
The Chocolate Soldier, and Richard, the celebrated composer
of symphonic poems and operas.)
Johann Strauss, Sr., b. Mar. 14, 1804, d. Sept. 25, 1849,
the son of a Viennese innkeeper, became a violinist, and in
1823 he joined the ensemble of Josef Lanner, a composer of
dance music. The two young men were the creators of the Viennese
WALTZ. Lanner's ensemble grew in size and popularity and eventually
divided into two orchestras, one of which Strauss conducted.
In 1825, Strauss left Lanner to form his own orchestra, which
quickly became the favorite of the Viennese public largely
through the lively conducting of its founder. Strauss composed
152 waltzes, about 100 compositions in other dance forms,
and marches, but his best-known piece is the "Radetzky
March."
Johann Strauss, Jr., b. Oct. 25, 1825, d. June 3, 1899, became
a musician against his father's wishes. After studying the
violin in secret with the encouragement of his mother, he
then began the serious study of composition. At the age of
19 he formed his own orchestra, playing in the cafes of Vienna,
and soon eclipsed his father in popularity. Upon his father's
death in 1849, both orchestras were merged under his direction.
With that group he toured widely, visiting Russia in 1865,
England in 1869, and the United States in 1876. Everywhere
he and his music were greeted with great enthusiasm. In all,
Strauss composed about 170 waltzes--the most beloved being
"The Beautiful Blue Danube" (1867), "Artists'
Life" (1867), "Tales of the Vienna Woods" (1868),
"Wine, Woman, and Song" (1869), "Roses from
the South" (1880), and "The Emperor Waltz"
(1888)--and many polkas, quadrilles, and marches, totaling
about 500 works. Of his 16 operettas, Die Fledermaus (The
Bat, 1874) and Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron, 1885) were
the most successful.
Neither of the other sons had a career as brilliant as the
younger Johann's. Josef Strauss, b. Aug. 22, 1827, d. July
21, 1870, composed 283 dances and occasionally conducted the
family orchestra. Eduard Strauss, b. Mar. 15, 1835, d. Dec.
28, 1916, published 318 compositions and also took over conducting
chores from his oldest brother. Eventually, as Johann wanted
more time to compose, Eduard took full charge of the orchestra,
maintaining it until 1902.
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