|
Johann Strauss II (German: Johann Strauß (Sohn),
"Johann Strauss (son)"; in English also Johann Strauss the Younger, Johann
Strauss Jr., Johann Sebastian Strauss) (October 25, 1825 – June 3, 1899) was
an Austrian composer known especially for his waltzes, such as The Blue
Danube.
Son of the composer Johann Strauss I, and brother to the composers
Josef
Strauss and Eduard Strauss, Johann II is the most famous of the family. He
was known in his lifetime as "the waltz king," and the popularity of the
waltz in Vienna through the 19th century is due in large part to him. He
became the "waltz king" by his revolutionary elevation of the waltz from
lowly peasant dance to sparkling entertainment for the royal Habsburg court.
Not only did he revolutionize the waltz, but his work enjoyed greater fame
than his predecessors such as his father and
Josef Lanner. Some of his
polkas and marches are also well known, as is his operetta Die Fledermaus.
Strauss was born in Vienna, Austria. His father did not want him to become a
musician but rather a banker; nevertheless he studied the violin secretly as
a child: ironically with his father's first violinist in the Strauss
orchestra, Franz Amon. However, when his father found out, Johann II
recalled that 'there was a violent and unpleasant scene' and that 'his
father wanted to know nothing of his musical plans'. It seems that, rather
than trying to avoid a Strauss rivalry, Strauss Sr. wanted his son to escape
the rigors of a musician's life. It was only when his father left the family
and took a mistress Emilie Trambusch when Johann II was 17 that he was able
to concentrate fully on a career as a composer.
Johann Jr. then studied counterpoint and harmony with theorist Professor
Joachim Hoffmann, who owned a private music school. His talents were also
recognised by composer Josef Drechsler (also spelled Drexler) who taught him
exercises in harmony. His other violin teacher, Anton Kollmann, who was the
ballet répétiteur of the Vienna Court Opera, 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.
Johann Strauss I's influence over the entertainment establishments meant
that many of them were wary of
offering the younger Strauss a contract for fear of angering the former.
Strauss Jr. was then able to persuade the Dommayer's Casino at Hietzing,
Vienna to give him his debut. The local press were soon frantically
reporting a 'Strauss v. Strauss' rivalry between father and son as a result
and Strauss Sr., in anger at his son's disobedience and that of the
proprietor, refused to ever play at the Dommayer's Casino which had been the
site of many of his earlier triumphs.
Strauss Jr. found the early years 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 Josef Lanner's death two years before. Vienna was racked by
a bourgeois revolution on 24th February 1848 and the intense rivalry between
father and son became more apparent.
Eventually, Johann Jr. decided to side with the revolutionaries as evidenced
in the title of his works dating around this period such as the waltzes
'Freiheitslieder' (Songs of Freedom) op. 52 and 'Burschenlieder' op. 55 as
well as the marches 'Revolutions March', op. 54 and the stirring Studenten
Marsch op. 56. It proved to be a decision which was professionally
disadvantageous as the Austrian royalty twice denied him the much coveted
'KK Hofballmusikdirektor' position which was first designated especially for
Johann I in recognition of his musical contributions. Further, the younger
Strauss was also taken to task by the Viennese authorities for publicly
playing the infectious La Marseillaise, which stoked revolutionary feelings
but he was later acquitted. Shortly after his acquittal, he composed the
'Geißelhiebe Polka' op.60 which
contains elements of 'La Marseillaise' in its 'Trio' section as a musical
riposte to his arrest. Strauss Sr. remained loyal to the Danube monarchy and
composed his Radetzky March op. 228 dedicated to the Habsburg field marshal
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz which would become his most well-known work.
When the elder Strauss died from scarlet fever in 1849 in Vienna, the
younger Strauss merged both their orchestras and engaged in further tours.
Subsequently, he also composed a number of patriotic marches dedicated to
the Habsburg monarch Franz Josef I, 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 ascended the Austrian throne
after the 1848 Revolution.
He would eventually surpass his father's fame, and become one of the most
popular of waltz composers of
the era, extensively touring Austria, Poland and Germany with his orchestra.
It would be a usual sight for his audiences to catch sight of Strauss for
only one performance before he would quickly hurry to another venue where he
was commissioned to play via the traditional fiaker. It would be the
ultimate showmanship and this would be displayed on the placards at the
venues to proudly proclaim "Heute Spielt der Strauss!" or 'Strauss plays
today!'. He also made visits to Russia where he performed at Pavlovsk and
wrote many compositions there and retitling it to suit his Viennese
audiences back home, Britain where he performed with his first wife Jetty
Treffz at the Covent Garden, France, Italy and the United States later in
the 1870s where he took part in the Boston Festival and was the lead
conductor in the 'Monster Concert' of over 1000 musicians.
Among the more popular dance pieces Strauss wrote in this period include the
waltzes Sängerfahrten op. 41, Liebeslieder op. 114, Nachtfalter op. 157,
Accelerationen op. 234 and the polkas Annen op. 117, and
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka op. 214.
He married the singer Jetty Treffz in 1862 and applied for the KK
Hofballmusikdirektor Music Director of the Royal Court Balls position which
he eventually achieved in 1863 after being denied several times before for
his frequent brush with the local authorities. His involvement with the
Court Balls meant that his work has been elevated to be even heard by the
royalty. His second wife, Angelika Dittrich (an actress) whom he married in
1878 was not a fervent supporter of his music and their differences in age
and opinion, especially her indiscretion, led him to seek a divorce.
Strauss was not granted a divorce by the Roman Catholic church and therefore
changed religion and nationality and became a citizen of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
on January 28, 1887. Strauss II sought solace in his third wife Adele (whom
he married on August 15, 1887) and she encouraged the creative talent to
flow once more in his later years, resulting in much fine music such as
those found in the operettas 'Der
Zigeunerbaron' and 'Waldmeister' and the waltzes 'Kaiser-Walzer','Kaiser
Jubilaum','Märchen aus dem Orient' op. 444 and 'Klug Gretelein' op. 462.
After establishing his first orchestra prior to his father's death, he
founded many others to be supplied to various entertainment establishments
such as the 'Sperl' ballroom as well as the 'Apollo' where he dedicated
appropriately titled pieces to commemorate he first performances there.
Later, he accepted commissions to play in Russia for the Archduke Michael
and Tsar Alexander II especially in Pavlovsk where a new railway line was
built. When the commissions became too much to be handled by him alone, he
sought to promote his younger brothers Josef and Eduard to deputise in his
absence from either poor health or a busy schedule. In 1853, he was even
confined to a sanatorium to recuperate as he was suffering from shivering
fits and neuralgia. Anxious that the family business that she so lovingly
nurtured would be ruined, mother Anna Strauss helped persuade a reluctant
Josef to take over the helm of the Strauss Orchestra. The Viennese welcomed
both brothers eventually and Johann even once admitted that 'Josef was the
more talented of the two of us, I'm merely the more popular.' Josef went on
to stamp his own mark into his own waltzes and this fresh rivalry did more
good for the development of the waltz as Johann Strauss II proceeded to
consolidate his position as the "waltz king" with his exquisite The Blue
Danube waltz which began life as a choral waltz with banal words written by
a local poet.
The highlight of the Strauss triumvirate was displayed in the concert of 'Perpetual
Music' in 1860s where his aptly titled 'Perpetuum Mobile' musical joke op.
257, was played continuously by all three Strauss brothers at the helm of
three large orchestras. At around the same time, the three Strauss brothers
also organised many musical activities during their concerts at the Vienna
Volksgarten where the audience would be able to participate. For example, a
new piece would be played and the audience would be asked to guess who the
composer was as the placards would only announce the piece as written by a
'Strauss' followed by question marks.
Johann Strauss (including the Strauss family) was not without rivals.
Although the most sought-after composer of dance music was Johann Strauss II
in the 1860s to the 1890s, stiff competition was present in the form of Karl
Michael Ziehrer and Emile Waldteufel whom the latter was commanding in his
position in Paris. Phillip Fahrbach also denied the younger Strauss the
commanding position of the 'KK Hofballmusikdirektor' when the latter first
applied for the post.
Much earlier, Johann Strauss I faced a long rivalry with fellow composer
Josef Lanner and Josef Gungl. Ziehrer would eventually eclipse the Strauss
family after Johann and Josef's deaths and posed more than a challenge to
Eduard. The German operetta composer Offenbach who made his name in Paris
also posed a challenge to Strauss in the operetta field. Later, the
emergence of operetta maestro Lehár would usher in the Silver Age in Vienna
and most certainly sweep aside any lingering Strauss dominance in the
operetta world. Johann Strauss and Johannes Brahms photographed in Vienna
Johann Strauss and Johannes Brahms photographed in Vienna
He was admired by prominent composers of the day, including Richard Wagner
who once admitted that he loved the waltz Wein, Weib und Gesang op. 333 and
Johannes Brahms, who was also a personal friend, and to whom he dedicated
his waltz Seid umschlungen Millionen or 'Be Embraced Millions' op. 443
inspired from a poem by Friedrich Schiller. Other admirers include Richard
Strauss (unrelated to the Strauss family) who, when writing his
Rosenkavalier waltzes, said 'How could I forget the laughing genius of
Vienna?' which made a reference to Johann Strauss the younger.
Strauss' operettas, however, have not had as much enduring success as have
his dance pieces and much of the success was reserved for Die Fledermaus and
Der Zigeunerbaron. Notwithstanding the lack of popularity of his operettas,
there are much dance pieces drawn from themes of his lukewarmly-received
operettas such as 'Cagliostro-Walzer' op. 370 and 'Rosen aus dem Süden'
Walzer op. 388. He also wrote an opera, Ritter Pásmán which could be faulted
on the libretto but nevertheless, many attribute his strong links to the
waltz and the polka as his failure as this may well indicate that he may not
be able to write serious music. In fact, for his third and most successful
operetta of all time, Die Fledermaus 1874, music
critics of Vienna prophesied that his work would only be a 'motif of waltz
and polka melodies'. Nonetheless, his fiercest critic and ironically a
strong supporter, Eduard Hanslick wrote at the time of Strauss's death in
1899 that his demise would signify the end of the last happy times in Vienna.
Johann Strauss II died from pneumonia in Vienna in 1899 at the age of 74 and
was buried there in the Zentralfriedhof. At the time of his death, he was
still working on his ballet Aschenbrödel.
Strauss' music is now regularly performed at the annual Neujahrskonzert of
the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, as a result of the efforts by Clemens
Krauss who performed a special all-Strauss programme in 1929 with the
Viennese orchestra. Many distinguished Strauss interpreters include Willi
Boskovsky who carried on the "Vorgeiger" tradition of conducting with violin
in hand as is the Strauss family custom; as well as Herbert von Karajan and
the opera conductor Riccardo Muti. In addition, the Wiener Johann Strauss
Orchester which was formed in 1966 pays tribute to the touring orchestras of
which the Strauss family are also known for.
It is to be noted that most of the Strauss works that we are all familiar
with today may have existed in a (near negligible) different form as
conceived by Johann Strauss II and his brothers as Eduard Strauss destroyed
a great amount of original Strauss orchestral archives in a furnace
manufacturer in Vienna's Mariahilf district in 1907. The Johann Strauss
societies around the world have, however, painstakingly pieced together a
large body of these destroyed works to be appreciated by future generations.
Eduard Strauss, then the only surviving brother, took this drastic
precaution to prevent Strauss works from being openly claimed as another
composer's own. This may have also been fuelled by the intense rivalry with
the other popular waltz and march composer, Carl Michael Ziehrer.
Works of Johann Strauss II
Operetta
listed chronologically within category (with date of composition or first
performance)
* Indigo und die Vierzig Räuber Indigo and the Forty Thieves (1871)
* Der Karneval in Rom The Carnival in Rome (1873)
* Die Fledermaus The Bat (April 5, 1874, at Theater an der Wien, Vienna)
* Cagliostro in Wien Cagliostro in Vienna (1875)
* Prinz Methusalem (1877)
* Blindekuh Blind Man's Buff (1878)
* Das Spitzentuch der Königin The Queen's Lace Handkerchief (1880)
* Der lustige Krieg The Merry War (1881)
* Eine Nacht in Venedig A Night in Venice (1883)
* Der Zigeunerbaron The Gypsy Baron (1885)
* Simplicius (1887)
* Fürstin Ninetta Princess Ninetta (1893)
* Jabuka - Der Apfelfest Apple festival(1894)
* Waldmeister Woodruff (1895)
* Die Göttin der Vernunft The Goddess of Reason (1897)
* Wiener Blut (1899)
Opera
* Ritter Pásmán Knight Pásmán (1892)
Ballet
* Aschenbrödel Cinderella (1899)
Waltz
* Sinngedichte op. 1 Epigrams (1844)
* Gunstwerber op. 4 Favour solicitor (1844)
* Faschingslieder op. 11 Carnevalsongs (1846)
* Jugendträume op. 12 Youth dreams (1846)
* Sträußchen op. 15 Bouquets (1846)
* Sängerfahrten op. 41 Singers' Journeys (1847)
* Lava-Ströme op. 74 Streams of Lava (1850)
* Rhadamantus-Klänge op. 94 Echoes of Rhadamantus (1851)
* Mephistos Höllenrufe op. 101 Cries of Mephistopheles from Hell (1851)
* Liebeslieder op. 114 Lovesongs (1852)
* Phönix-Schwingen op. 125 Wings of the Phoenix (1853)
* Schneeglöckchen op. 143 Snowbells (1854)
* Nachtfalter op. 157 Moths (1855)
* Man lebt nur Einmal! op. 167 Man only Lives Once! (1855)
* Accelerationen op. 234 Accelerations (1860)
* Immer Heiterer op. 235 Always Cheerful (1860)
* Karnevalsbotschafter op. 270 Carnival Ambassador (1862)
* Leitartikel op. 273 Leading Article (1863)
* Morgenblätter op. 279 Morning Journals (1863)
* Studentenlust op. 285 Students' Joy (1864)
* Feuilleton op. 293 (1865)
* Bürgersinn op. 295 Citizen Spirit (1865)
* Flugschriften op. 300 Pamphlets (1865)
* Wiener Bonbons op. 307 Viennese Sweets (1866)
* Feenmärchen op. 312 Fairytales (1866)
* An der schönen blauen Donau op. 314 On the Beautiful Blue Danube (1867)
* Künstlerleben op. 316 Artists' Life (1867)
* Telegramme op. 318 Telegrams (1867)
* Die Publicisten op. 321 The Publicists (1868)
* G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald Tales from the Vienna Woods op. 325 (1868),
* Illustrationen op. 331 Illustrations (1869)
* Wein, Weib und Gesang op. 333 Wine, Women and Song (1869)
* Freuet Euch des Lebens op. 340 Enjoy Life (1870)
* Neu Wien op. 342 New Vienna (1870)
* Tausend und eine Nacht op. 346 Thousand and One Nights (1871)
* Wiener Blut op. 354 Viennese Blood (1873)
* Bei uns Z'haus op. 361 At Home (1873)
* Wo die Zitronen blühen op. 364 Where the Lemons Blossom (1874)
* Du und du op. 367 You and you (1874)
* Cagliostro-Walzer op. 370 (1875)
* O schöner Mai! op. 375 Oh Lovely May! (1877)
* Rosen aus dem Süden op. 388 Roses from the South (1880)
* Nordseebilder op. 390 North Sea Pictures (1880)
* Kuss-Walzer op. 400 Kiss Waltz (1881)
* Frühlingsstimmen op. 410 Voices of Spring (1883)
* Lagunen-Walzer op. 411 Lagoon Waltz (1883)
* Schatz-Walzer op. 418 Treasure Waltz (1885)
* Wiener Frauen op. 423 Viennese Ladies (1886)
* Donauweibchen op. 427 Danube Maiden (1887)
* Kaiser-Jubiläum-Jubelwalzer op. 434 Emperor Jubilation (1888)
* Kaiser-Walzer op. 437 Emperor Waltz (1888)
* Rathausball-Tänze op. 438 City Hall Ball(1890)
* Gross-Wien op. 440 Great Vienna (1891)
* Seid umschlungen Millionen op. 443 Be Embraced Millions (1892)
* Klug Gretelein op. 462 Clever Gretel (1895)
Polka
* Explosions-Polka op. 43
* Annen op. 117 (1852) Anna
* Champagne-Polka op. 211
* Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka op. 214 (1858) Chit-chat
* Maskenzug op. 240 Masked Ball
* Demolirer op. 269 Demolition Men (1862)
* Vergnügungszug op. 281 Journey Train (1864)
* S gibt nur a Kaiserstadt,'s gibt nur a Wien! op. 291 Only an Imperial
City, one Vienna
* Kreuzfidel op. 301 Cross-Fiddling
* Lob der Frauen Polka-mazurka op. 315 Praise of Women
* Leichtes Blut Galop op. 319 Light Blood (1867)
* Figaro-Polka op. 320
* Ein Herz, ein Sinn! Polka-mazurka op. 323 One Heart, One Mind!
* Unter Donner und Blitz op. 324 Thunder & Lightning (1868)
* Freikugeln op. 326 Free-shooter (1868)
* Fata Morgana Polka-mazurka op. 330
* Éljen a Magyar! polka schnell op. 332 Long live the Magyar!
* Im Krapfenwald'l op. 336 In Krapfen's Woods French Polka
* Im Sturmschritt op. 348 At the Double!
* Die Bajadere op. 351 The Bayadere
* Vom Donaustrande op. 358 By the Danube's Shores
* Bitte schön! op. 372 If You Please! (1875)
* Auf der Jagd! op.373 On the Hunt! (1875)
* Banditen-Galopp op. 378 Bandits' Galop (1877)
March
* Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Rettungs-Jubel op. 126 Joy at Deliverance of Emperor
Franz Josef
* Napoleon op. 156
* Persischer op. 289 Persian March (1864)
* Egyptischer op. 335 Egyptian March (1869)
* Jubelfest op. 396 Jubilant Festival
* Russischer Marsch op. 426 Russian March (1886)
* Spanischer Marsch op. 433 Spanish March (1888)
* Deutschmeister Jubiläumsmarsch op. 470
* Auf's Korn! op. 478 Take Aim!
Film adaptations
An Academy Award-winning 1953 Tom and Jerry cartoon, Johann Mouse, was made
in honour of Johann Strauss II, and features the Kaiser-Walzer op.437
Emperor Waltz (1888).
The lives of the Strauss dynasty members and their world-renowned craft of
composing Viennese waltzes are also briefly documented in several television
adaptations, such as 'The Strauss Dynasty' (1991) and 'Strauss, the King of
3/4 Time' (1995).
Many other films used his works and melodies, and several films have been
based upon the life of the musician. Alfred Hitchcock made a low-budget
biography of Strauss in 1933 called Waltzes from Vienna.
Text Source: Wikipedia |
Deutsch
