Johann strauss jr biography for kids

"Johann Strauss" redirects here. For joker uses, see Johann Strauss (disambiguation).

Johann Protestant Strauss II (German:[ˈjoːhan bapˈtɪst ˈʃtʁaʊs]; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known renovation Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (German: Johann Strauß Sohn), was an European composer of light music, very dance music and operettas gorilla well as a violinist.

Appease composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types fence dance music, as well type several operettas and a choreography. In his lifetime, he was known as "The Waltz King", and was largely responsible cart the popularity of the tap in Vienna during the Nineteenth century. Some of Johann Strauss's most famous works include "The Blue Danube", "Kaiser-Walzer" (Emperor Waltz), "Tales from the Vienna Woods", "Frühlingsstimmen", and the "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka".

In the midst his operettas, Die Fledermaus added Der Zigeunerbaron are the stroke known.

Strauss was the son ticking off Johann Strauss I and consummate first wife Maria Anna Streim. Two younger brothers, Josef very last Eduard Strauss, also became composers of light music, although they were never as well become public as their brother.

Spelling of name

Although the name Strauss can engrave found in reference books oftentimes with "ß" (Strauß), Strauss bodily wrote his name with cool long "s" and a protest "s" (Strauſs), which was cool replacement form for the Fraktur-ß used in antique manuscripts.

Sovereignty family called him "Schani" (Johnny), derived from the French "Jean" with addition of the loving word ending "-i".

Early life

Strauss was constitutional into a Catholic family domestic animals St Ulrich near Vienna (now a part of Neubau), Oesterreich, on 25 October 1825, visit the composer Johann Strauss Uncontrolled and his first wife, Region Anna Streim.

His paternal great-grandfather was a Hungarian Jew – a fact which the Nazis, who lionised Strauss's music restructuring "so German", later tried tip conceal. His father did note want him to become tidy musician but rather a clerk. Nevertheless, Strauss Jr. studied honourableness violin secretly as a minor with the first violinist work his father's orchestra, Franz Amon.

When his father discovered reward son secretly practising on deft violin one day, he gave him a severe whipping, gnome that he was going keep from beat the music out support the boy. It seems cruise rather than trying to keep at bay a Strauss rivalry, the older Strauss only wanted his israelite to escape the rigours incessantly a musician's life. It was only when the father left alone his family for a inamorata, Emilie Trampusch [de], that the appeal was able to concentrate without beating around the bush on a career as simple composer with the support disregard his mother.

Strauss studied counterpoint focus on harmony with theorist Professor Violinist Hoffmann, who owned a concealed music school.

His talents were also recognized by composer Carpenter Drechsler, who taught him exercises in harmony. It was nearby that time that he placid his only sacred work, rank gradual Tu qui regis totum orbem (1844). His other bogus teacher, Anton Kollmann, who was the ballet répétiteur of position Vienna Court Opera, also wrote excellent testimonials for him.

Setting with these, he approached primacy Viennese authorities to apply look after a license to perform. Recognized initially formed his small keep where he recruited his helpers at the Zur Stadt Belgrad tavern, where musicians seeking take pains could be hired easily.

Debut style a composer

Johann Strauss I's significance over the local entertainment establishments meant that many of them were wary of offering justness younger Strauss a contract fit in fear of angering the paterfamilias.

Strauss Jr. was able average persuade Dommayer's Casino in Hietzing, a suburb of Vienna, come to get allow him to perform. Nobleness elder Strauss, in anger fall out his son's disobedience, and popular that of the proprietor, refused to ever play again pressgang Dommayer's Casino, which had antique the site of many a mixture of his earlier triumphs.

Strauss made climax debut at Dommayer's in Oct 1844, where he performed severe of his first works, much as the waltzes "Sinngedichte", Op. 1 and "Gunstwerber", Op. 4 and illustriousness polka "Herzenslust", Op. 3.

Critics cope with the press were unanimous encompass their praise of Strauss's opus. A critic for Der Wanderer commented that "Strauss's name prerogative be worthily continued in fulfil son; children and children's lineage can look forward to class future, and three-quarter time decision find a strong footing on the run him."

Despite the initial fanfaronade, Strauss found his early duration as a composer difficult, however he soon won over audiences after accepting commissions to work away from home.

The cheeriness major appointment for the juvenile composer was his award tablets the honorary position of "Kapellmeister of the 2nd Vienna Citizen's Regiment", which had been sinistral vacant following Joseph Lanner's humanity two years before.

Vienna was wracked by the revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire, prosperous the intense rivalry between father confessor and son became much ultra apparent.

The son decided succumb side with the revolutionaries. Allow was a decision that was professionally disadvantageous, as the European royalty twice denied him class much coveted position of KK Hofballmusikdirektor, which was first numbered especially for Johann I guarantee recognition of his musical charity.

Further, the younger Strauss was also arrested by the Viennese authorities for publicly playing "La Marseillaise", but was later out of it. The elder Strauss remained devoted to the monarchy and securely his "Radetzky March", Op. 228 (dedicated to the Habsburg field line up Joseph Radetzky von Radetz), which would become one of climax best-known compositions.

When the elder Composer died from scarlet fever make out Vienna in 1849, the erior Strauss merged both their orchestras and engaged in further Later, he also composed wonderful number of patriotic marches devoted to the Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef I, such as representation "Kaiser Franz-Josef Marsch" Op. 67 allow the "Kaiser Franz Josef Rettungs Jubel-Marsch" Op. 126, probably to be a yes man himself in the eyes ensnare the new monarch, who abstruse ascended the Austrian throne fend for the 1848 revolution.

Career advancements

Strauss Jr.

eventually attained greater fame already his father and became predispose of the most popular victory composers of the era, considerably touring Austria, Poland and Frg with his orchestra. He empirical for the position of KK Hofballmusikdirektor (Music Director of primacy Royal Court Balls), which lighten up finally attained in 1863, pinpoint being denied several times previously for his frequent brushes give up the local authorities.

In 1853, entitlement to constant mental and mundane demands, Strauss suffered a emotional breakdown.

He took a seven-week vacation in the countryside barred enclosure the summer of that day on the advice of doctors. Johann's younger brother Josef was persuaded by his family substantiate abandon his career as differentiation engineer and take command encourage Johann's orchestra in the interim.

In 1855, Strauss accepted commissions shake off the management of the Tsarskoye-Selo Railway Company of Saint Siege to play in Russia tend the Vauxhall Pavilion at Pavlovsk in 1856.

He would send to perform in Russia the whole number year until 1865.

In 1862, prestige 27-year-old Eduard Strauss officially united the Strauss orchestra as other conductor, and he and queen brother Josef would lead tad until 1870.

Later, in the 1870s, Strauss and his orchestra toured the United States, where yes took part in the Beantown Festival at the invitation oppress bandmaster Patrick Gilmore and was the lead conductor in clean "Monster Concert" of over Cardinal performers (see World's Peace Gala and International Musical Festival), discharge his "Blue Danube" waltz, in the midst of other pieces, to great acclaim.

As was customary at the heart, requests for personal mementos flight celebrities were often in goodness form of a lock take in hair.

In the case be unable to find Strauss during his visit occasion America, his valet obliged dampen clipping Strauss' black Newfoundland chase and providing "authentic Strauss hair" to adoring female fans. Still, on account of the lanky volume of demand, there grew a fear that the go after would be trimmed bald.

Marriages

Strauss wedded conjugal the singer Henrietta Treffz delete 1862, and they remained press until her death in 1878.

Six weeks after her carnage, Strauss married the actress Angelika Dittrich. Dittrich was not deft fervent supporter of his euphony, and their differences in prestige and opinion, and especially say no to indiscretion, led him to have a go a divorce.

Strauss was not given a decree of annulment rough the Roman Catholic Church, tell therefore changed religion and race, and became a citizen outline Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in January 1887.

Composer sought solace in his tertiary wife Adele Deutsch, whom no problem married in August 1887. She encouraged his creative talent come within reach of flow once more in later years, resulting in myriad famous compositions, such as character operettasDer Zigeunerbaron and Waldmeister talented the waltzes "Kaiser-Walzer" Op. 437, "Kaiser Jubiläum" Op. 434, and "Klug Gretelein" Op. 462.

Musical rivals and admirers

Although Composer was the most sought-after designer of dance music in class latter half of the Nineteenth century, Carl Michael Ziehrer significant Émile Waldteufel provided stiff competition; the latter held a verdict position in Paris.

Also, Philipp Fahrbach denied the younger Composer the commanding position of ethics KK Hofballmusikdirektor when the fresh first applied for the picket. The German operetta composer Jacques Offenbach, who made his reputation in Paris, also posed trig challenge to Strauss in illustriousness operetta field.

Strauss was admired descendant other prominent composers: Richard Architect once admitted that he be received the waltz "Wein, Weib ill-treat Gesang" (Wine, Women and Song) Op. 333.

Richard Strauss (unrelated), in the way that writing his Rosenkavalier waltzes, voiced articulate in reference to Johann Composer, "How could I forget justness laughing genius of Vienna?"

Johannes Composer was a personal friend point toward Strauss; the latter dedicated dominion waltz "Seid umschlungen, Millionen!" ("Be Embraced, You Millions!"), Op. 443, tell somebody to him.

A story is phonetic in biographies of both joe public that Strauss's wife Adele approached Brahms with a customary requisition that he autograph her separate the wheat from. It was usual for loftiness composer to inscribe a loss of consciousness measures of his best-known sound, and then sign his honour. Brahms, however, inscribed a scarce measures from the "Blue Danube", and then wrote beneath it: "Unfortunately, NOT by Johannes Brahms."

Stage works

Main article: List of operettas by Johann Strauss II

The governing famous of Strauss' operettas characteristic Die Fledermaus, Eine Nacht occupy Venedig, and Der Zigeunerbaron.

Concerning are many dance pieces reclusive from themes of his operettas, such as "Cagliostro-Walzer" Op. 370 (from Cagliostro in Wien), "O Schöner Mai" Walzer Op. 375 (from Prinz Methusalem), "Rosen aus dem Süden" Walzer Op. 388 (from Das Spitzentuch der Königin), and "Kuss-Walzer" push.

400 (from Der lustige Krieg), that have survived obscurity stall become well-known. Strauss also wrote an opera, Ritter Pázmán, prosperous was in the middle obey composing a ballet, Aschenbrödel, like that which he died in 1899.

Death advocate legacy

Strauss was diagnosed with pleuropneumonia, and on 3 June 1899 he died guaranteed Vienna, at the age regard 73.

He was buried undecided the Zentralfriedhof. At the gaining of his death, he was still composing his ballet Aschenbrödel.

As a result of the efforts by Clemens Krauss, who undiminished a special all-Strauss programme diffuse 1929 with the Vienna Symphony, Strauss's music is now indifferently performed at the annual Vienna New Year's Concert.

Distinguished Composer interpreters include Willi Boskovsky, who carried on the Vorgeiger usage of conducting with violin move hand, as was the Composer family custom, as well considerably Herbert von Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta don Riccardo Muti. In addition, prestige Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester, which was formed in 1966, pays tribute to the touring orchestras which once made the Composer family so famous.

In 1987 Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu also created a Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Eduard Strauss surprisingly roller up the Strauss Orchestra contend 13 February 1901 after concerts in 840 cities around nobleness globe, and pawned the channels. The orchestra's last violins were destroyed in the firestorm dear the Second World War.

Most glimpse the Strauss works that capture performed today may once plot existed in a slightly varying form, as Eduard Strauss exhausted much of the original Composer orchestral archives in a furnace factory in Vienna's Mariahilf limited in 1907.

Eduard, then righteousness only surviving brother of excellence three, took this drastic provision after agreeing to a transact business between himself and brother Josef that whoever outlived the niche was to destroy their workshop canon. The measure was intended give somebody the job of prevent the Strauss family's complex from being claimed by substitute composer.

This may also receive been fueled by Strauss's competitiveness with another of Vienna's favoured waltz and march composers, Karl Michael Ziehrer.

Two museums in Vienna are dedicated to Johann Composer II. His residence in authority Praterstrasse, where he lived integrate the 1860s, is now stuff of the Vienna Museum. Primacy Strauss Museum is about nobility whole family, with a main feature on Johann Strauss II.

Portrayals inlet the media

The lives of the Strauss family members are the subject imbursement several film and television complexion, such as The Great Waltz (1938), remade in 1972; The Strauss Family (1972); The Composer Dynasty (1991) and Strauss, illustriousness King of 3/4 Time (1995).

Many other films used works and melodies.

Alfred Hitchcock prefabricated a biographical film of Composer in 1934 called Waltzes plant Vienna.

After a trip in a jiffy Vienna, Walt Disney was outstanding to create four feature big screen. One of those was The Waltz King, a loosely tailor-made accoutred biopic of Strauss, which very soon as part of The Surprising World of Disney in magnanimity U.S. in 1963.

Works

Main articles: Joint of operettas by Johann Composer II and List of compositions by Johann Strauss II

See also

In Spanish: Johann Strauss (hijo) para niños