Dakota Beacon

I just realized that today (October 25) is Johann Strauss II’s birthday!  So it seems appropriate to honor one of our greatest composers and heroes of our culture today.  Besides, his music has the power to brighten spirits and that is something we need today more than ever before.  

Strauss was not supposed to be a musician.  His father, composer Johann Strauss the Elder, intended that his son should rather go into banking and avoid the uncertainties and sacrifices of a life in music (which he knew all too well himself).  He was so determined, in fact, that when he learned his son was practicing on the violin he gave him a beating and tried to stop it.  However, when music surges in one’s very veins, it is impossible to stop.  When the elder Strauss abandoned his family to pursue an affair with another woman, it was all over.  The younger Johann Strauss began to follow his genius in earnest.  He studied composition and counterpoint as well as the violin and then began to play in cafes with small orchestras he was able to recruit.    Instead of the family name and legacy being a help to the young Strauss, however, many establishments shied away from giving him work because they feared angering his popular and powerful father.  It was widely known that there was a growing rivalry.  

When Dommayer’s Casino in the suburb of Hietzing hired young Johann, his father’s rage was what one might expect - he, himself, had played there with success before.  Despite the controversy, the younger Strauss was a tremendous hit at Dommayers, playing some of his own compositions - marches, quadrilles and, of course his waltzes.  The year was 1844.  Only four years later, revolution rocked all of Europe.  The family rivalry was exacerbated.  The elder Strauss supported the Emperor while young Johan and his brother sided with the revolutionaries.  After the strife ended this was to come back to haunt Johann II, for the royal house survived and order was restored.  The father died of scarlet fever in 1849.  

Johann II combined the orchestra of his father with his own and continued on to ever greater popular success, playing in the primary ballrooms of Vienna.  Austria was now settled under the rule of the new Emperor, Franz Josef, and, perhaps in the hope of finding himself back in the royal family’s good graces, Johann dedicated several pieces of music to the emperor, including the famous “Emperor Waltz”.  His output of music was phenomenal and he conducted himself at these balls.  He and his music became so popular and demand so great that by 1853 he was forced to take time off.  His brother Josef came to the rescue, taking over the orchestra and leaving behind his engineering career.  He, too, became a beloved composer of waltzes and polkas.  Later the youngest brother, Eduard, took his place in front of the orchestra.  Eduard became best known for his ultra-fast polkas.  Johann began devoting more of his time to writing and much less to conducting.   (Josef died suddenly in the summer of 1870 of undetermined causes, after a fall from the stage when he lost consciousness.)  

Johann’s creative endeavors were varied - he wrote operettas, a ballet, numerous marches, waltzes, polkas, traveled throughout the world - Europe, Russia and the United States - sharing his infectious melodies with millions.  He was married three times - once to opera singer Henrietta Trefz, ten years his senior, then upon her death, to a young actress, Angelika Dittrich - a regrettable episode in his life.   They were incompatible and Angelika was totally uninterested in Strauss’s music or career.  They were divorced and, converting from his Catholic faith, married for the third and final time, this time to Adele Deutsch.  Strauss had no children of his own but was stepfather to Adele’s daughter.  Ove his lifetime, Strauss interacted with many of his great contemporary composers and musicians.  One of his great friends and admirers was Johannes Brahms, who was said to have once written, as an autograph, on Adele’s fan a few notes of the “Blue Danube”, followed by “Unfortunately not by Johannes Brahms” and on one occasion, Strauss dedicated a waltz to Brahms:  “Be Embraced, Millions!”  Among others who expressed great appreciation of his work were Wagner and the German composer, Richard Strauss.  

Strauss died of pneumonia in late spring - June 3, of 1899.  He was 74.  His music, however, will never die.  His operettas are the finest of their genre.  His waltzes and polkas are incomparable.  He worked until the day he died and his output is impressive by any standards.  His waltzes are complex, containing within them dozens of themes.  Over the years since his death there have been many who have continued to appreciate and promote his music.  Many of our greatest conductors have performed and recorded Strauss’s music and two orchestras have been formed which use his name - the Vienna Strauss Orchestra, formed in 1966 and the very popular Strauss Orchestra of Dutch conductor, Andre Rieu.  I had the good fortune to hear the Vienna Strauss Orchestra myself, when it toured in Memphis in the mid-1970s and to own several of Rieu’s dvds and recordings.  One of my treasured memories was hearing my youngest sister play in a performance of “Die Fledermaus”, one of the world’s greatest operettas.  I have a couple of versions of this work on dvd and some vintage LPs.  It’s a great introduction to opera for anyone!  Its lovely music, witty plot and unforgettable characters make it a truly deathless work.  I highly recommend it to everyone.  It’s also a great favorite on New Year’s Day - think about it!  My own favorite version is conducted by Carlos Kleiber.  

Strauss’s life has been portrayed on screen numerous times - notably in The Great Waltz (1938) and later in 1972, and a mini-series, also in 1972, called The Strauss Family, aired on Masterpiece Theater.  I will assert here that one of the most beautiful opening credits scenes of all time was the ballroom scene in the 1972 MGM film, choreographed by the great Oona White.

WIthout any more words, here is some great music:

Emperor Waltz (Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437) played by the Wiener Johann Strauss Orchestra (2918)- Alfred Eschwe:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bkLMYzvMzk

A ballet version of “Wiener Blut”(Vienna Blood) :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiFxjNjG_-E

“Voices of Spring” performed by the St. Petersburg Wind Orchestra under the direction of Alexandr Golikov:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiEhfi0Kn0g

Zubin Mehta conducting the VIenna Philharmonic in Strauss’s “Tritsch Tratsch Polka”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuONBz7boBc

“The Beautiful Blue Danube” - with Andre Rieu’s Johann Strauss Orchestra:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDaJ7rFg66A

For sometime when you want to celebrate!  The complete “Die Fledermaus”!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qN6wCy73gk

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHANN STRAUSS!

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