Johann Strauss, Jr. (strowss)

Born October 25, 1825

Died June 3, 1899

Nationality: Austrian

Period/Style: Romantic

About the composer:

Johann Strauss was an Austrian composer and conductor.  There were many people in his family who were musicians too.  His favorite type of piece to write was dance music.  He toured the world with his own dance orchestras.  These groups played waltzes, gallops, and polkas for all of their programs.  In all, he wrote over 400 waltzes and 300 polkas.

About the music:

The Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314 was written in the year 1867.  It is a continuous suite of waltzes linked by a swaying tune in 3/4 time.  This piece paints a picture of couples in evening dress swirling around dance halls in Vienna.  This music was also used later in the movie "2001" with photos of slow-moving spacecraft.

Suggested Activities:

Find out what steps/configuration make a waltz step.

What are some of the other names of his waltzes?