Waltz King Johann Strauss: A life full of music and passion!

Waltz King Johann Strauss: A life full of music and passion!

On October 25, 2025, Vienna will celebrate a very special birthday: the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss' son, the legendary “Waltz King”. The composer, who comes from St. Ulrich near Vienna, surpassed the fame of his father, Johann Strauss, and is still considered one of the defining figures of the Viennese musical tradition. Many of us know his eternal melodies, which have conquered not only the ballrooms of Vienna, but also the hearts of people worldwide.

Johann Strauss Sohn was born in 1825 and had a close connection to music from the start. His mother, Anna Strauss, supported his desire to become a musician, although his father, who left the family early, did not approve. At just six years old, he composed his first waltz and gave his first concert in 1844 at the Casino Dommayer, which was celebrated as a great success. This early breakthrough was the starting signal for an impressive career.

The Waltz War and the great successes

The competition with his father, known as the “Waltz War,” lasted almost five years and produced many compositions for Johann Strauss, which over time became masterpieces. After his father's death in 1849, Strauss took over his orchestra and led it until the ball season with great success. Another highlight in his career was the composition of the famous “Donauwalzer” (On the Beautiful Blue Danube) in 1867, which is still considered one of the most famous waltzes today.

From 1856 to 1865, Strauss spent his summers in Pavlovsk near St. Petersburg, where he created many new works. In 1863 he was appointed “Imperial Court Ball Music Director” and directed all court balls until 1871. This period was particularly fruitful, and his first operetta “Indigo and the Forty Robbers” premiered in 1871.

Personal challenges and romantic entanglements

But despite his artistic success, Johann Strauss' life was also marked by personal challenges. He married three times, but all marriages were childless. His first wife, Henriette Treffz, also known as Jetty, played a central role in his career by encouraging him to move from the ball music business to composing. After Jet's death, he married Lili, but she left him after four years. His third marital happiness with Adele had an important influence on his music, for example in the work “Ritter Pásmán”.

Of his numerous compositions, his best-known works are the operetta “Die Fledermaus” and the ballet “One Night in Venice”. In total, Strauss left behind an extensive oeuvre of over 500 waltzes, polkas and marches, which are still played in concert halls around the world today.

A legacy that lasts

Johann Strauss's son died of pneumonia on June 3, 1899, but his musical legacy lives on. His works are part of Vienna's cultural identity and are still very well received today. Numerous monuments, such as the Johann Strauss monument in Vienna's city park, commemorate the great composer. Various Johann Strauss societies around the world are also dedicated to his life and work.

His influence on the “Golden Era of Viennese Operetta” is undisputed, and his music continues to be passed down from generation to generation. The 200th birthday of Johann Strauss's son is being duly celebrated in Vienna, and his melodies will certainly resonate in our ears for a long time. Like a carefully written score, his music connects yesterday with today and brings life to life in the Viennese waltz rhythm.