Johann Strauss (1804-1849)

“Waltz King”

Johann Strauss was born in Vienna, Austria to Franz Strauss and Barbara Dollmann. His father was an innkeeper at a small inn

next to the Danube River. Vienna has a great history of beautiful music and talented musicians including Johann. Unfortunately

for Johann, by the time he was twelve years old both of his parents had died.

Johann went to live with the tailor Anton Muller, who

placed Johann as an apprentice to a local

bookbinder.

Strauss also took lessons in the violin and viola in

addition to fulfilling his apprenticeship. Johan studied music and was good enough to join a

local orchestra.

Johann joined a string quartet led by Joseph Lanner. The quartet played waltzes and rustic German

dances and expanded into a small string orchestra in 1824.

Johann became the deputy conductor of the orchestra. Due to the popularity they formed a

second orchestra and Johann became the conductor of it.

In 1825, he decided to form his own band and began to write music (chiefly, dance music) for it to play. He realized that he could possibly emulate the success of Lanner in addition

to putting an end to his financial struggles. By so doing, he made Lanner a serious rival although the

rivalry did not entail hostile consequences as the musical

competition was very productive for the

development of the waltz as well as other dance music in

Vienna.

Johann Strauss soon became one of the best known and well loved dance composers in Vienna and toured with his

orchestra to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Britain. He even played at the 1838 coronation of

Queen Victoria.

One of Johan Strauss’ most famous pieces is Radetzky March written in honor of Count Josef Radetzky von

Radetz, the greatest soldier in Austria and a national hero. When it was first played, in front of Austrian officers in attendance, they promptly

clapped and stomped their feet when they heard the chorus. This tradition is still carried

over today in Vienna.

Count Josef Radetzky von Radetz

Johann Strauss died in Vienna in 1849 from scarlet fever. He was buried at the Döblinger cemetery beside his friend

Joseph Lanner. In 1904, both of their remains were

transferred to the graves of honor at Austria’s main cemetery . The former

Döbling Cemetery is now a Strauss-Lanner Park and

house a famous Gold-lilied status of the “Waltz King”.

Johann had a great influence even after his death. He was the father of Johann Strauss, Jr., Josef Strauss, and Eduard Strauss, and together they

formed a dynasty that dominated Vienna's light

music scene for three quarters of a century.

Hector Berlioz himself paid tribute to the 'Father of the

Viennese Waltz' by commenting that 'Vienna

without Strauss is like Austria without the Danube'.