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Johann Baptist Strauss

I (1804-1849)

Strauss, Johann Baptist (1804-1849). Austrian composer. Apprentice as a bookbinder by his guardian (both his parents died during Strauss’s childhood), he also studied the violin and viola and soon gained a position as a violinist in a Viennese private orchestra. This led to his becoming a member of a leading local string quartet which soon expanded into a small string orchestra performing a repertoire of mainly light music and dances. Its success led to Strauss founding in 1825 his own ensemble, which rapidly gained in popularity and enjoyed considerable critical and public acclaim. Soon Strauss was undertaking tours with his orchestra throughout Europe. In 1846 his achievements were officially recognized in Vienna through his appointment as k.k. Hofballmusikfirektor by the Emperor Ferdinand I.

Strauss’s compositional output comprises almost exclusively dance works, most notably waltzes and polkas. His development of the waltz in terms of its structure and style was particularly notable, earning him the sobriquet of ‘Father of the Waltz’