New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-10
THE WALTZ-KlNG.
JOHANN STRAUSS AND his GRAND oPEfA'
RITTER PA-MAN.
Vienna, December %.

Xot for many u day has the pleasure seeSins
| ..r,;o, or this GLOWING city been more IN
ercscd in anything than it is now LII '''e au"oun
ont ,bot .Tohonn Strauss will bring out his grand
| NOR, Ritter Pasman, OH the evening OF NE"
| Years Day II was to have been perior'neu "e'''
| This but Fraulcin Renard, VINO Is 10 TAKE '"e "
ing part has been i'll and Herr oorauSS "o"," NV
have any substitute or understudy' o"' Pi'' =,
- nostnonc the representation until she was well
| enough ~ appear. That Herr o'l"''" ""o
| the rnusical idol of Vienna Tor many years Is OF
| o,,,,ro coll lnovn Nor does the wal&-klngs
sovereignty rest upon his watzes alone. lndeeu'
| li ,or,tic compostlons have in late years Deeh
| r,os, nonuIar of all his works. But these nave
| u hoop Hcbt operas comic operettas, which neeu
mt I've named here. since they are as well known
| in America AS i'm Austria. But TO essiy grahd
| o,,er, * = for different matter and success IN IL
will bc all the more difficult TO attain for the very
reason of his great success III the lighter comPo-
| sitions.
| Indeed Herr Strauss confesses that the feelings
| with which he approaches his grand opera deou'
are not unlike those with which he maze HIS
| first anncar,uce before Vienna audience as con-
| dctor That WAS nearly fifty years ago, or. to be
| exact forty-sevcn years ago on October IL Ias,'
Then. rs now. he came forward in the shadow OIL
| . treat name only it not his own name theh'
| but his fathers. The elder johann o'Iaus' vas
| # that fimc the unchallengcd Waltz-king,' and
| the appearance Of his son was not unlike thc at
trrnnt Of a crown-prnce to usurp the throne As
is well known the elder Strauss did all III ms
mower TO prevent young Johann from becoming
conductor, or indeed musician of any kind hon
will make good bankclerk,' he said perhaps
even successful merchant. But musician
| No no. IL is not in you. Your brother Josef is
| the musician perhaps Edward, roo. but he is TOO
| Young vet To determine SO Johann was sent 10
| a, business college 10 learn bookkeeping. There
| he had cla-smate and comrade named Gustav
| Icvv One day the two lads went home hurredly.
| They had been expelled What WAC wrong
| oh nothing much only that incorrigible Johann
Strauss had deliberately sung song in the midst
| Of the session. and that scapcgrace Gustav Levy
| had joined in with him. Later. that same Gustav
Levy became one OF the foremost music publishers
| of Europe and that same Johann Strauss wrote
| the BEAUTIFUL Blue Danube waltzes and Die
| Fledcrmaus7 The name OF the professor VINO eA-
PEELED them il not remembered
| So pcrforcc the old "Waltz-king7 consented TO
| Johann'- playing the piano AT concerts along with
his brother Josef The piano, he thought, was
| a contemplate instrument No who was con
tent to thump its KEYS could be a rival 10 the
| Walt King he was fearful and Jealous VI
| the possible success Of his boys. Johann and
| Josef got on well with their piano. but they also
studied the violin This they did secretly. for
their father had forbidden them 70 try IT. But
he found il ont. and he stormcd again. They were
incratcs undutifl sons. stupid doltS 10 imagine
that they could ever become great orchestral ar
lists Perhaps Josef might do fairly well, but
Johann? Never To soothc the fury Of his
father. Therefore johann took 10 studying
countcrpuiut and church music exclusively, with
Bach and Handel for his models. The old gen
tlcnian then felt safe 80 matter how well the
boy got In that line. he could not become rival
TO the Wal'z-king Fugucs and oratorios would
hardly do for playing IN ball rooms and concert
gardens Really tins was an exceedingly good
thing for Johann. since II gave him thorough
knowledge of music such he would probably
not have acquired had he gone directly on with
lighter music. But amid the chOraes he turned
his mind to waltzcs. and his father found II out
and once more ragged against him. So The good
ior-nothing boy he exclaimed in a fury. actu-
a'ly wants 10 write waltzcs He That Johann.
Why he has not shadow Of an idea Of the art
Look at me | am foremost in the profession.
Yet II taxes even my ability 10 write a waltz and
put anything new and striking in it,
Nevertheless young Johann perscvcred His
first published waltz Immediately attained n
greater popularity than any his father had written.
Z q
his own, I,ayug his compositions. In a
Icar or two he outrankcd his father in popular
favor. The latter could not conquer his jealousy.
He wac so much moved by that singular passion.
in fact that he went 10 London 10 get away from
his son and there caught cold and died. when hr
was only forty-ivc years old. His never
cherished the least resentment against his father
for opposing his musical career. but loved him
devotcdly and 10 this day detests the very name
of London. because, 0s he says. il killed his
father.
This second Waltz King has enjoyed far
greater popularity than his predecessor ever at
tanned. and for years than the latter lived
As a man he Is popular rs he is as composer
or was confederation he conducts more.
To two generations he was familiar figure as he
stood among his musicians. directing their playing
with grace Of movement equal to his artistic
skill lie does that more; and has not for
Year,, But he is often by the public, On the
streets and elsewhere and ne seems determined 10
preserve ~ long possible the youthful appear
Ancc Of hs earlier years He Is always fautlcssly
dressed and his hair and WHISPERS are black 40
ever. There are those who say he ID indebted 10
the dycrs art; but who knows? He has a beau
tifu Mansion in Vienna and "a fine country estate
m Schocnau They are both most evidently |
home, If an artist There Is music everywhere.
Every table is covered with sheets and scraps of
music papcr. ready for use already covered with
notes and fragments OF compositions He dcvotcs |
regularly ecvcral hours each morning TO compost
tion sitting ms he does M the keyboard of
cahrct organ. Dut no hour of the day or night
is free from il. AZ dinner he will hum an air be-
tween mouthfuls Of food and set down
his wincglasS TO take up his pencil He
is an invricralc card player, but almost every
game Is interrupted by fits of underwriting.
Walking in his garden at Schoenau, strolling on
the streets of Vienna the drive, in the drawing
room, everywhere, he has paper and pencil at
hand % iot down straw THOUGHTS Of melody lie