Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II, also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger, or the Son, was born on October 25, 1825, in Vienna, Austrian Empire. He was the eldest son of Johann Strauss I, a composer who founded a musical dynasty in Vienna. Despite his father's wishes for him to pursue a nonmusical career, Strauss secretly studied the violin and eventually embraced a life in music after his father left the family.
Strauss became a prominent composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 works, including waltzes, polkas, and operettas, earning him the title "The Waltz King." His most famous compositions include "The Blue Danube," "Kaiser-Walzer," "Tales from the Vienna Woods," and operettas like "Die Fledermaus" and "Der Zigeunerbaron."
Throughout his career, Strauss faced competition from his father but ultimately surpassed him in both productivity and popularity. He conducted his own orchestra, which he later combined with his father's after the elder Strauss's death. Strauss toured extensively, gaining international fame, and eventually focused on composing, leaving conducting to his brothers, Josef and Eduard.
Strauss married three times: to Henrietta Treffz, Angelika Dittrich, and Adele Deutsch. He died on June 3, 1899, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, and was buried in Vienna Central Cemetery. His music continues to be celebrated for its enduring appeal and contribution to the popularity of the waltz in the 19th century.
