The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
THE WALTZ AND STRAUSS.
THE "FhTHER OF THE WAITE" AND
THE "RING OF THE WALTZ"

md Success--Tho waltz ne Tbey Got II
and as They Made 1.-the Family Ended
VIENNA. July 1.-Dnwn was tintinR the
housetops OF the Austrian capital 1t was the
morning following a dance and reception ut a
foreign mbassy. Beauty aud her escort had
been revealing in the deciousncss Of the waltz
such ns the V!ennese only know no. to give ID
life and fascination. Handing her cloak to her
maid.lthe hand ON efwonan OF Francis lose phi 4
court looked tired with the languor OF satis-
faction.
Madame" spoLo the maid softly do you
know thai Herr Strauss 's deadY"
Her mistress look ed doubtinRly at her at
tsndant for a moment. Then. as tho maid left
the room quietly. she, could hear sobblng from
tho apartment which she had Just vacated.
When. some weeks since. the news spread
tbroughout both heruispherss that the waltz
king was dead. II proved q matter Of regret to
all lovers OF music. and especially to those who
find In tho pyTations OF the dance q solaco
from the cares and drudReres Of everyday eN
fstence. But to know what the passing OF
Johann Strauss meant to Vienna and its resi-
dents one would have had TO be among them
when tho announcement OF his death came
II was not only a personal loss to tho Wen
'nese, but q madonna one as well. The waltz
was virtually the national hymn OF the coun.
try. It's origin. It's perfection. tho famous fam
lily whose name IN linked indiseolubly with
tho fascinating taRpe. the very Rayety Of the
subjects Of Francis Joseph, make the death
OF Johann Strauss q loss from which II will be
many days before Austria will recover. When.
as In the case OF the handsome daughter Of
Vienna. tears took the place OF smiles. ~ the
announcement came that the waltz king was
DO more. it.was but one illustration In many
showing what Strauss and his genius meant
70 her CITY and herself. 1t was the fttest trib-
ute the renowned composer could have asked
for. And tho story is still going tho rounds OF
the clubs, for the Viennese are emotional an
individuals and o peopie. Whom the maid
talked out Of school she should be pardoned
on the score of feeling. perhaps. as did her
mistress.
With the death OF the great composer tho
famous waitz king dynasty virtually becomes
a part Of history, for tho remaining member
OF the family. Eduard Strauss. never attained
tho eminence OF bis brother, whether as con-
duotor or composer. The others, father and
BON. were the real" Strnusses. Johann. the
elder. It was who nrst gave the world an ink
ling OF what grace. what JOY. what poetry. al
most, the waltz contained But to under
stand II 30. Vienna is the only place on earth
which can tell IN living language what Strauss
meant 1t should tell, and for that reason ,Io-
ham Strauss the elder has been called the
father OF the waltz.
II is O m stako. however, to think that the
witt from time INN mortej has had its home
In Vienna. Nor should It be taken for granted
that Vienna is the place of its birth. On tho
contrary 1t was only AS recent as Lanner's
time and that ot Stranss. ST.. that the walt at
tanned 20 citizenship IN tie captal ~ the Aus
TRAN Empire. And it wac LETT Tor the son OF
the criGiDal Johanu Strauss So To perfect the
dance as to introduce il In all countricN as one
OF the m ost fascinating Of dances cNtaut.
ba histnrv p he N,t " inte at
Ing details. In the beginning of the present
centurY ecarcely any oSher dance but the min
uct was in vogue in the city Of the 'Donau.'
Then came the A"Deuts IL and the square
dances. Tho first traces of the waltz a q dance
OF society were visible in 1887. however, and
the circumstances surrounding It are very
unique.
Itwae the veal OF Nincenz Martins opera Tina
Sosa Rara." later on Huown under the name
'Lilla. or Beauty and Youth" and the Nieunese
we're at once Uaptivateh with the excellence of
the performance and its personnel, The oIera
at one stcI took the Ulare Of MOHart's I'll
RHro's Wedding" which had been on" Of the
chief attractions. 1t Was esps tally the dances
which took the pllyRoer- by storm. Four pcu-
tins opera the first "Nalse ever ."en on any
stage or IN II h,llroom. Mozart had to step
came came Re nf ii hat nnd SH.n
ing the Nieunese, from the auditorium point ri
view. Society took ny the fashion. and beng
named sOsa rHra' from the ouera Of that
name. 1t scorad an immediate success. A
short time following it was heard III iHe Vienna
bathrooms under its new title the Vienna
waltz. 1t wts = somewhat slow, graceful and
atogethcr Geiehtful Improvement unon what
till then had been the CUSTOMARY dances.
Who among the German. Americlns aud
for that m@t.,f the native ,,t born a. welt have
waltz melody mad its origin during the tine
when the walt first became popular in Mo-
yart's time. The reason why it has been
lrDukh' down to date Is simply because
nally there was attached to u a text which WAS
full OF notntGd sarcasm, md With SattrieSl in
80 sn!lHndidly nopied in he peasant Gance Of
his HTnSs ey a'1 IN Weber saye it
TarZe" Invitation to the Dance Is MADE the
walt more g, Grl5i"nt more ener. ,1lIy char
Strauss, The new waltz melodies which they
which ;hey created. so TO speak. the maguiN.
s S c.ndIStnG OF ths dance which until tfoG
TO the creation OF the Vienna waltz in its pres
ent form, ,
and Strauss in 1901. both Of them Vlennes. 70 TO
the core. II Wan Lanner who first organized II
s!rins orchestra which drew It's clientele from
Ianner vas the leading violin Of what then
CONSISTED OF u nu4r,e, and when the orches-
as the leading man. i.anner ana his concert
master soon became fast friends: The shared
good and rad uek, and this friendship was
even extended So far that they took turn about
wearing the same good coat when times did
not allow such "A luxury as n good coat apiece.
During tho first years Of their connection II
was StrnusSs duty to carry the plate from
table TO table and gather in whu. the music
lovers thought willing to contribute. II was
al existence az Strauss has frequently told
which all his later triumphs could never sur
rass. The bohemian lie winch he then led
was the quntesSence Of artistic existence; so
he has often expressed hin self
Strauss was "A brilliant NlDltniSt hut his in
etrument was AZ bad as his playing was excel
lent TO buy new violin was out OF the quaS-
zion. 1t vas all they could 10 70 get enough to
live, and then II occurred to Strauss to try an
other expcdleut From, .one ur the tables lie
one day lifted glass bait flied with bocr
This ho poured through the + holes For
while this seemed 10 give the Instrument new
lite but its lease was short. for ono fine day
tho whole business went To pic"Hs. The que
could not take kindly to the damp iu,arilr
and refused any longer to hold together. SolAe-
how Strauss managed To- get another violin.
Ianucr had already been favorable known "a
q composer OF dance music whcE Strauss also
began to write TaltHes For lna most pIt
these first efforts were proCICed with the well
known lanneran name IA hall marks. liut
al L. MT fl.4V, F~..,,