The first pop star in the world was Johann Strauss – Diepresse.com

His melodies are known all over the world – above all the Danube Waltz, which is transferred to the New Year’s concert to 92 countries. Johann Straus’s son, who would have been 200 years old, was a real pop star in his time. He composed 500 waltzes, polkas, marches and quadrilles, an operetta, 15 operettas and a ballet. And he made people happy with his music. They were starved after the Napoleonic wars. They wanted to dance, amuse themselves and forget the difficult times. Then the happy and lively melodies of Johann Strauss came at the right time. « We writers show the world how miserable it is – Strauss shows us how beautiful it can be, » said the French author émile Zola about the composer. And that’s exactly how it was. « People went to the concert sadly and came out happily. Strauss was a musical magician, » says Hermann Rauter, founder of the House of Strauss in the Casino Zahleritz.

Notes with a counterfei

The Viennese dance lust was great. Johann Straus’s father was already a marketing genius: he founded a professional dance orchestra (before that was only played up in smaller musicians), opened the Casino Zögernitz as a guest and music site and had his portrait printed on all sheet petals. For the son, who should become far known as the father, but was by no means prescribed. Johann Strauss The Elder actually provided for a civil servant career for his son. But his soon single mother Anna, who did everything possible with the support of her son to take revenge for her husband’s infidelity, made Johann Junior able to train music. At the age of six, the young Johann composed his first waltz – and numerous offspring should still be found, so he received the nickname « Waltz King ». They sometimes have funny names such as « dragonfly », « engine » or « Trau, Look, who! » Waltz.

Groundbreaking debut

Since the father had left the family, Johann Junior had to make money. Everything hung from his musical debut. Could he hand his father, the first waltz king? Johann Junior’s first public appearance took place in the Casino Dommayer, one of the most elegant dance inns. The young musician was just 19 years old – and he exceeded all expectations. « Good night, Lanner! Good evening, Strauss father! Good morning, Strauss son! » The competition between father and son also revived Vienna’s music life. After the early death of his father, Johann Junior took over the orchestra of Johann Senior and united it with his – a successful company in Europe. Waltic music has become a million business.

Only the theater stage is still missing – and Johann Strauss will quickly conquer it. The operetta hype comes from France: Jacques Offenbach is the master of the genre. Who, if not bouquet, should the format « become »? In 1871 his first operetta, « Indigo and the 40 predators », premiered in the theater at the Vienna. The premiere of his most successful operetta also took place at this theater in 1874: the « bat ».

Johann Strauss was able to enjoy his celebrity during his lifetime. He died of pneumonia at the age of 73, and antibiotics were not yet invented. Thousands of people came to his funeral in the Vienna Central Cemetery, including Gustav Mahler.

»People went to the concert sadly and came out happily. Strauss was a musical magician.  »

Hermann Rauter