Waltzing with Strauss

Rudolphina: Anke Charton, Michele Calella, this year we celebrate the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss the Younger, also known as "the Vienna Waltz King." What explains this enduring fascination with Johann Strauss II?

Michele Calella: This fascination is certainly due to the fact that he had such a lasting impact on the image of the city of Vienna and, of course, also because of the international success of his music. His music is considered quintessentially Viennese. The average tourist visiting Vienna associates the city with Strauss' waltzes, more so than with those composed by Beethoven or Mozart.

Anke Charton: Though he was not the only composer of waltzes or a certain type of dance music, his music and style perfectly suited the city of Vienna and its historical narrative. And it still does!

Rudolphina: Johann Strauss the Younger was already very successful in his lifetime. What made him and his music so popular?

Anke Charton: His music filled concert halls, yes, but also lined the coffers. Behind Johann Strauss the Younger stood the entire Strauss family dynasty, who were in the business of making music that can touch audiences and sell well.

Michele Calella: Johann Strauss II was not only a composer. He was also famous for his presence and radiance as a conductor. The visual, performative component of his concerts contributed significantly to his popularity. He was also successful because the primary stage of his music was not the traditional concert hall, but rather the taverns and restaurants, cafés, ballrooms or ordinary inns. The people of Vienna didn't just listen to the music, they also danced to it, enjoying it as a physical experience.

Anke Charton: His music was easy to arrange because it did not depend on a large orchestra. It was thus relatively easy to perform Strauss' music in inns or ballrooms, allowing the audience to actively engage with it. As a result, his music was highly visible and readily available all across the city. Naturally, things that get a lot of attention are more likely to become an integral part of a city’s narrative and thus, over the long run, increase in popularity.

Michele Calella: In addition, lithography as an affordable method of printing was introduced in the 19th century. As a result, many works of popular music were printed, sold and distributed around the world.

Rudolphina: Johann Strauss is also known for his operettas, such as Die Fledermaus (The Revenge of the Bat) and Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron). What role do they play in the oeuvre of Strauss?

Michele Calella: Many pieces in operettas have the character of a waltz or polka. The instrumental versions of many waltzes we know today were originally composed as vocal works or had vocal versions existing in parallel. This is the case with The Blue Danube and Voices of Spring. Dance music and operetta were musically closely intertwined and Strauss profoundly shaped the genre of the Vienna operetta. However, it is important to mention that the operetta, in comparison to today, was a more controversial genre at the time. It was sold as a somewhat bourgeois genre only later, especially after World War II.

Anke Charton:  Yes, this is an important point. The operetta actually evolved from a parodic form of theatre. This image of the "stuffy" operetta was essentially the outcome of Nazi era whitewashing of the genre. Up until the mid-1930s, the operetta was a subversive, daring genre whose dialogues provided plenty of room for criticism of the system.

The forced emigration and murder of the majority of Jewish librettists shut the lid on this characteristic of the genre and soon a "cleaner" image was draped over it. When we investigate operettas, we first have to become aware of this historical patchwork. Focusing on the operetta as it looks today does not adequately reflect the genre's history. At the time of Strauss, in the late 19th century, operettas were primarily performed in private and suburban theatres. So, to keep the business profitable, they had to play what the people were willing to spend money on. The audience wanted tight outfits, rousing rhythms and critical commentaries on the politics of the day. The original character of the operetta was much more subversive than that of the opera.

Rudolphina: Johann Strauss appealed not only to the audience in Vienna but was also extremely successful at an international level.

Michele Calella: Johann Strauss the Elder already toured Europe with his music, which boosted the demand for Viennese-style dance music in many countries. And his son later continued and expanded these tours. The construction of the railway lines at the time promoted international mobility and shipping activities were booming as well. All of a sudden, it was easier to travel to America, also for Johann Strauss the Younger, who travelled to Boston in 1872 to participate in a major music festival. As a result, a much wider media landscape got to know him and his music. Just like today, the media at the time were keen on legends and anecdotes about musicians because it sold well.

Rudolphina: Johann Strauss the Younger could not have been this successful without his family. How did this family empire operate?

Michele Calella: The entire family played its part. The father contributed until he and Anna Strauss separated, as did the brothers Josef and Eduard. But his mother Anna played the key role in this "family business" since she was in charge of organising everything. This is why one of the lectures in our lecture series, held by co-organiser Melanie Unseld, focuses on the Strauss family as a family of musicians.

Anke Charton: Anna Strauss is an incredibly strong female figure, who took over the role of the manager in the family business after the separation from her husband. She must have had incredible talent if you consider what she turned the family business into.

Rudolphina: The title of the lecture series you organised on the occasion of the Strauss anniversary year is "Sound | Space | Vienna". What role does the city of Vienna play?

Michele Calella: We wanted to design a lecture series that not only focuses on Johann Strauss the Younger and his music but also on his role as a social actor, citizen and signature musician of the city of Vienna. We focus on the context and the social background with an emphasis on the Strauss family. Where was this music produced in the 19th century and how was it received?

Anke Charton: In research focusing on musical works, you could easily come to believe that Strauss could have built his career anywhere. But we assume that Strauss and his compositions are very closely intertwined with the specific time and manner in which the music was played and received. In the lecture series, we aim to discuss what made the success of Strauss possible in the first place.

At the time, Berlin and London were also major cities with large music scenes and a wide sociocultural spectrum. Had Strauss been active there, he would have become a different Strauss.

Rudolphina: Many thanks for the interview! (td)