Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-08-31
STRAUSS AND HIS WALTZ.
TRANSLATED PROM THE GEL


| moving spirit-stirring, love-kissing music con-
ouers the most inveterate enemy of Terpsi-
chore; whose magic sounds SoCthe hearts,
still SighS, dry tears, tame wild beasts, and
move the stones themselves. Strauss has
written waltzeS that are more to me than many
operas. In seven of his measures, there is Of
ten more melody than in as many heavy scores
of other musicians. What fullness of syren
beauty, what a rich mine of poetry; what an
inexhaustible fount, of ever gushing melody
And not the melody alone-the rhythm also
wi tf magical influence -Seizes the brain and
enters the heart. His Violin is falisman, by
which he draws from the depths of the human
soul brightest Joy and deepest woe, and ming
les them with master hand. The bow with
which he draws these many-colored tones
from his instruments is a magic wand which
touches the grief-worn soul with the healing
balsanl of joy, and lends her wings TO mount
up into the heavens of peace. There are
many waltz compositions as rich in melody,
but few as rich in melting riS.thnl as those of
Strauss-by turns skipping, cumming, waltz
ing, gliding, and dancing, SO inviting, so ire
sistible that no dancer can withstand stheir
witching influence. lie is the idol of women.
/ In every house, on every piano in Vienna, lie
! Strauss waltzes. He has written over two
hundred all are fayorites, are all sung and
trilled, and played throughout Europe. Cob
bier and dandy hum and pipe them orchestra
and barrel organ play them. We Hear them in
the streets, at the ball, in the garden, and at
the theatre. The dancing Viennese carry
him on their shoulders and shout ''Strauss
forevcr.''
This Strauss, this waltz-hero, loved the
daughter of d count. Sophie was her name.
| Her eve was blucr than 1taly'S heavens, and
softer than the sweet light of the evening star.
| Grace and beauty were in every motion, and
| music in every tone. In word, Sophie was
beautiful. He would have given worlds to win
| - 1.ttc n1,lH nnd
stern. Madness, indeed, for poor musician,
with nothing but his violin, to dare to love the
| high born Sophie, who had many noble
ancestor as he had waltZes.
.sImpertinent,'' said Sophie, and when he
came to give her brother a lesson on the vio-
| lin. she scarcely deigned him a look. Short
| " afterward Sophie was betrOthed to Count
| Robert. lord chamberlain, who had, indeed, as
many prond ancestors as Sophie, but beyond
these and his titles, had nothing of which he
could boast.
One day when Strauss CHANGED to be alone
with Sophie, he sank upon his knees before
her. and with burning words declared his love,
and besought her to give but one word or
look Of love ere he was quite driven to des-
pair. But neither tears nor protestations mo-
we'd her-she was cold and unfeeling mar
bIe al am an affianced bride,'' she said haugh-
tily, "and if / were not think you would be-
come the wife of poor musician ?''
q
lone in his grief aud despair. The repentance
which soon awoke in the heart of Sophie, un-
happily came too late. The bridegroom and
her father FASTENED the marriage-ln eight
DAYS she would be the wife of Count X ebert.
The ceremony was 10 be performed IN the
great saloon of the city, and the Count called
on Strauss to request him to lead the orcheS-
ira on that occasion, and to honor his bride
with the composition of new waltz.
Strauss the most miserable man in the u
inverse, promised him both. Gle wished TO
wound me yet more deeply" said the unhap-
py man to himself-ssbut L forgive him and
may she be happy-may she never repent her
choice.' lie addressed himself earnestly to
his work This waltz should be the interpre-
ter of his passion and his grief to Sophie. 1t
should challenge at least her pity, if not her
love. When all the city slept, Strauss took
his violin, opened his window, gazed out into
the cold night, and Improvised and moaned
forth his sad tale of woe to the sweet stars
above, that looked kindly down on the desc
late and heart-stricken.
The day of the wedding came at last. This
fierce agony of love had given him waltz,
every measure of which spoke longing sor-
row. wailing woe. The hall glistened and
shene with bright jewels, and brighter eyes;
but Sophie was more gloriously beautiful than
all. The richest gems lent her their charms
and their lustre; the pure myrtle wreath
bloomed in her golden hair, and the rare and
costly bridal veil shaded her beautiful features
from the gaze of the adoring crowd. Strauss,
| n haggard emaciated man with brilliant pierre
ing black eyes. sharp strongly marke ID features,
| dressed from head to foot in black, as though
he had assumed this mourning livery for the
/ bride now dead to him, stood sad and silent in
the gallery above. directing the movements OF
the orchestra. Sophie danced now with one,
now with another of the wedding guests, and
| so often as she paused after the glddy whirl
of the dance, she turned her eye towards the
pale, grief stricken Strauss, in his robes of
| sorrow and mourning, Sand met his look of
despairing love.
1t was more than pity she ielt--it was re-
morse, it was kindling love. a terrible pain
awoke in her heart, like swelling stream,
growing ever wider and deeper, threatening to
Overwhem and destroy her quite. Gladly
she would have wept, but she dared not. 1t
/ sounded twelve O'Clock and Strauss gave the
signal for the performance of the waltz. The
gay dancers stood up, Sophie on the arm of
the happy bridegroom. All stand speil-bound
with the wondrous witchery- of those magic
sounds. They forget to dance, they gaze
wonderingly up at the pale man in black,
| whose grief-torn soul breathed out Its woe
! through the sounding strings OF his instrument.
! His bow moved, with his heart went his spirit.
| The bridegroom led of-thcy dance and dance.
Strauss follows the flying pair with fearful eyes
torn heart. They dance and dance, and Will
never cease. Strauss played and played and
! played, and will never stop his wonderful
waltz, which so fearfully affects both him and
them. They dance and dance; he played and
| play yed-suddenly the f of his violin snaps,
| and in that moment Sophie falls dead upon the
! floor. Violin and bow fall from his trembling
! hands. and with n cry of horror, he shrieked,
sSo2hie," and fell fainting on the ground.
Since Sophie's death, the waltz is called by
! her name; Strauss loved her till his death.
He, too, is dead, but his Sophie Waltz yet