The amazing Strauss family

by Gwen Herat

One of the earliest of Early Romantics, Johann Strauss, the youngest of the Strauss family made the foursome. Father, Johann I and two brothers Eduard and Josef were also composers along with him, Johann Strauss II. Strauss snr. Was known mostly for his brilliant score, Rodetsky March while Johann composed 400 waltzes by himself. Eduard some 318 and Josef 300 polkas, galops and other dance pieces.

Amazing but true; the Strauss composers held the world stage in awe. There was also another Strauss composer who held the world stage in awe. Richard who was not one among them but he too wrote waltzes and declared, ‘How could I have composed those without thinking of the laughing genius of Vienna'.

Johnanne was the most endearing composer of his time in Austria, the originality and the innate gift was God given.

Composer

He can claim the honour of being the world's most popular composer on his Blue Danube which was scored in 1867 and all who know music even at basic level, would declare without any hesitation that Blue Danube is the best music to have fallen on ears. When the Blue Danube is played, it not only fills the concert halls and the vicinity but makes way into crevices, holes; almost everywhere the air is found.

It is found in the waves, the ripples and in the wind and floats across to the sky towards the ocean and the echo lives long after the score is silenced. Even today, the Blue Danube is played by all conductors in their concerts or orchestrated all over Vienna and around Austria. Dance lovers waltz to this wonderful waltz and if ever a Vienese hall is heard anywhere around the world, the first choice is the Blue Danube.

The story of the Strauss Family is televised, filmed, into operas as well as for the stage like no other story of a musical family and this legend goes on and on for ever. In accomplishments he rose far ahead of his illustrious father and two brothers. The story goes that his grandfather who was an innkeeper in the rural of Vienna, committed suicide following his second marriage. He was only 44 years when he died leaving Johann to carry on the work at the inn where small-time musicians entertained the humble crowd that patronised the place.

Violin

He developed a love for the music he heard them playing and wanted to be one of them and set about learning the violin but he was set for better and cultured music. Within a year he was not only playing the violin but the viola as well in an orchestra.

He met violinist Josef Lanner and joined him to start his own orchestra. It was very successful and the two headed on to run two bands with Lanner conducting one and Johann the other.

Soon they went their own way which gave space for Strauss to become the extraordinary conductor and composer in Vienna. His music caught fire all over Europe and became the official dance orchestra for the Austrian court balls and played at Queen Victoria's coronation ball.

This was the beginning of a dynasty but it faded away in 1939 with the death of Joann Strauss III who was the son of Eduard, one of Johann's brothers.

Never was a prodigy playing the violin at four so professionally. Later he was to conduct an orchestra only with over 150 violins. The amazing fact was that among these 150 violins, he was able to pick a wrong note played by one of the violinists or if one violin overlapped another though lost in a sea of violins.

Johann assembled his first orchestra at 19 making his debut in 1844. His success was glorious and instantaneous.

The media went frenzy as they hailed him as the messiah of music. The two Strauss orchestras ran in open rivalry until 1849 when his father died of scarlet fever.

Popularity

Presently, he managed both orchestras under one baton for the rest of his life and enjoyed power, wealth and popularity in the world of music.

Eventually he ran six orchestras simultaneously with assistant conductors and booking agents. Money simply flowed and when he was invited to the USA in 1871 to conduct the Blue Danube for a staggering sum of 100,000 US dollars and another for 20,000 in front of an audience of one hundred thousand, it was unbelievable.

He went on a short tour thereafter, doubled his money and returned to Europe as a millionaire.

Time for Johann was a problem with so much in hand that he commissioned his brother Eduard to conduct the court balls after 1871 which gave him a breather to concentrate on compositions and this resulted in producing one of his best scores, Die Fledermaus in 1874 and followed by another sensation piece, Der Zigeunerbaron in 1885.

He remained an enigma to the end with much energy and creativity that kept him on his feet. He befriended Brahms and the two became inseparables. When Brahms died in 1897 he became so depressed that he neglected his condition in pneumonia and died just two years later. Among his essential works are:

Die Fledermaus (1874) considered the best operetta which the composer set in Vienna.

It is so iconic in melody and its enchanting waltz tunes, it will whisk you off your feet. The Overture is often heard independently which he dedicated to his third wife, Adela.

Der Zigeunerbaron (1885) When Strauss wrote 16 operettas, only two survived for review today while the others suffered from peer librettos but are occasionally played in concert halls.

On the Blue Danube OP.314 (1867) also known as ‘An der schonen blaun Donau which means on the beautiful blue Danube. Today, it is the second Austrian National Anthem but met with severe hostility when originally premièred because this version had lyrics with political overtones. Today, with wondrous combinations of musical instruments with the lead violins, it is the most dazzling score and the heart of Vienna, blood of Vienna and the soul of Vienna. Personally, I cannot count as to how many times I would have waltzed to the Blue Danube. Among other great waltzes there are:-

Tales from Vienna Woods (1868), Wine Women and Song (1869), Vienna Blood (1870), Roses from the South (1878), Voices of Spring (1883), Thousand and One Nights (1871), Artist's Life (1867), Morning Papers (1864), Perpetuum Mobile (1862) and Thunder and Lightning (1868) (Polka).