The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-02-14
Strauss Called Il Beautiful Blue
Danube, But River Is Yellow
Some Observations on Fomous Woltz by
Times Writer Who Soiled the Donube

tai obstacles tried to do every
thing TO keep his three sons.
Johann. Eusrd and Joseph from
becoming musicians.
A q student abroad, we saw
Eduard Strauss conduct. After the
manner of the family. he stood.
fiddle in hand. playing part of the
time and then conducting with his
bow. He seemed to become physi-
cally . part Of the music. As he
swsyed with the rhythms. the
audience caught the intoxication
of II all and soon the audience was
bound ~ though In the embrace
OF some mystical power. Sousa,
with his inimitable marches, l. the
only one with whom we can COM
pare the Strauss tradition.
Johann Strauss. like many other
musicians had the sympathy and
help OF his mother in acquiring a
musical education. The father.
upon discovering that his son could
play, became furious. Later. how
ever, he WAS reconciled until he
had the tragic realizatio that the
son was 30 amazingly gifted that
his own fame was in jeopardy.
At his fathers death the
fame Of the "Waltx King" was
already firmly established and
Johann II consolidated his or
chestra with that Of his faith
or and toured Europe. In 1868.
he became director Of the
Court Balls In Vienna; thus
WAS this most brilliant musical
position Of its kind In Europe.
On the advice of Offenbach
Tales of Holman. he took to
writing comic operas. His Die
Fledermaus" THE Bat) is a clas-
sic of its type. This Is the opera
that had eight performances in the
Little Theater." last summer.
Probably no more delightful oper-
eta has ever been written. He
lived and breathed the dreamlike
artists life of Vienna. More than
any other composer he has trans
lated the spirit of the radiant
viennese life of that day.
One night he came upon a for
gotten poem by Carl Beck. An
der schoenen blauen DOMAIN" ION
the Beautiful Blue Danube.)
Having no paper at hand, he
wrote the themes Of the dance
upon his cuffs. His wife. II is
said, preserved them from the
laundry.
In the meantime, the vienna
Male Chorus" had obtained a
promise from Strauss to write
work for the organization. At a
concert, for this society the waltz
was first performed on Feb. ID,
1857, seventy-five years ago to-
day. Yet. when we hear II today,
1t seems as fresh and vernal as
though 1t had just been written.
To Strauss, however. 1t was just
another waltz-one OF the four
hundred he wrote. In that year he
went to Paris and did not even
bother TO put the composition in
his public program. At private
concert the waltz created furor
and the popularity of Strauss
soon ecnpsed that Of the French
fAlsatian) Waldtenfel.
Probably as long as music lasts
the spirit of Strauss will live in
his waltzes. particularly THE
Beautiful Blue Danube" Anton
seidl. Arthur Nikich. Theodore
Thomas, Wagner, Grahms, Tos-
canini, Stokowski, Rachmaninoff
and scores of other great must
clans have paid their tribute to
its magic.
Once when Seidl conducted
the Metropolitan Open House
Orchestra NJ Brighton Beach.
the great Wagnerian conduc-
tor WAS heard remarling 20
Victor Herbert. then recently
imposted ~ violoncellist In the
orchestra, "Warum trinkt man
Schnaps wenn wir Die Blaue
Donan Haben:" (W'hy does
anyone drink whlskey when he
can have The Beautiful blue