The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Strauss
STRAUSS, the name of four German musicians, father and three sons. Johann, the father, was born in Vienna, March 14, 1804, and died there, Sept. 24, 1849. In early life he was a member of Lanner's orchestra, afterward organized a band of his own, gave concerts in the chief cities of Germany, and soon rivalled Lanner as a composer and conductor. The eldest son, Johann, born in Vienna in 1825, has been for many years, by appointment of the emperor, music director of the court balls. Before the death of his father he had organized a band, whose playing has created the greatest enthusiasm in the chief capitals of Europe. In 1872 Strauss (without his band) visited the United States, and conducted the orchestra of 1,000 performers in his own compositions at the so-called world's peace jubilee in Boston. Before returning he gave three concerts in New York. Besides nearly 400 compositions of dance music, he has published four operettas which have met with considerable success: Indigo (1871), Der Carneval in Rom (1873), Die Fledermaus (1874), and Cagliostro (1875). Josef, who was born in Vienna in 1827 and died there in 1870, left nearly 300 compositions of dance music. The youngest brother, Eduard, is the leader of an orchestra in Vienna, and has published nearly 200 compositions. The published compositions of the four Strausses are about 1,100 in number, all of which, excepting a few marches and the operettas above mentioned, are music for dancing. Between 300 and 400 are waltzes, many of which are classed as the best productions of this kind of music.