Johann Strauss II

 by Georg Predota  October 11th, 2025

Bicentennial Celebration: Waltzing Through Time

On 25 October 1825, in the bustling heart of Vienna, a child was born who would etch his name into the annals of musical history as the undisputed “Waltz King.” Johann Strauss II, son of the original Strauss patriarch, Johann Strauss I, emerged not just as a composer but as a cultural phenomenon, transforming the Viennese waltz from a simple ballroom diversion into a global symbol of elegance, romance, and unbridled joy.

Johann Strauss II

Johann Strauss II: “Viennese Blood”  

Strauss Junior captured the spirit of 19th-century Europe, his music a whirlwind of imperial grandeur, social upheaval, and hedonistic escape. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, the city of Vienna has declared a bicentennial extravaganza that reaffirms his legacy as a bridge between classical sophistication and populist delight.

The Johann Strauss 2025 Viennese celebrations run under the motto “King of Waltz, Queen of Music,” and encompass over 65 performances, three major exhibitions, and events spanning 71 locations across all 23 districts of the city. As musicologist Michele Calella of the University of Vienna notes, Strauss’ work remains “quintessentially Viennese, shaping the city’s identity as a cultural beacon even today.”   

Against the Grain

The young Johann Strauss II

Johann Strauss Junior’s story begins in defiance. Born into a musical dynasty dominated by his father, young Johann was forbidden from pursuing composition. The elder Strauss envisioned a bourgeois future for his son: first law school, then a banking career, stability, anything but the itinerant life of a bandleader.

Defying paternal expectations, Strauss Junior secretly studied violin and compositions, debuting at age 19 at Dommayer’s Casino in Vienna. The selection of music he presented included works by Meyerbeer, Auber, Suppé and also by his father.

He also gave the premières of four of his own compositions, and the press was unanimous in its praise for the young Strauss and his music. This act of rebellion ignited a lifelong rivalry with his father, yet his early waltzes, like “Sinngedichte” and “Gunstwerber” captivated audiences with their lyrical charm.

The Sound of a New Era

Waltzing in the 19th century

Strauss’ early career was a whirlwind of polkas, marches, and waltzes that mirrored the era’s ferment. The 1848 revolutions rocked Vienna, yet Strauss, ever the entertainer, composed pieces like the “Revolutions-Walzer,” blending revolutionary fervour with danceable levity.

He quickly eclipsed his father’s fame, and upon Johann I’s death in 1849, Strauss Junior merged the ensembles to form a “super-virtuoso outfit” that toured Europe with unprecedented success.

The orchestra, under his baton, was renowned for its precision and ability to convey the lilting, almost dance-like quality of his music. The orchestra became Vienna’s musical heartbeat, delivering performances that balanced technical finesse with a sense of spontaneity. Strauss’ genius lay in elevating dance music to an art form, infusing it with sophistication while keeping it accessible and joyous.  

The Mozart of the Waltz

Strauss was also a master of orchestration, using the ensemble’s strings, woodwinds, and brass to create a lush, sparkling sound that felt both grand and intimate. His ability to tailor music for specific occasions, whether imperial balls or public concerts, meant the orchestra could shift seamlessly between grandeur and playfulness.

Let’s not forget, however, that Strauss Junior staunchly championed the music of Liszt and Wagner. Johann and Josef Strauss were the first musicians in Vienna to feature extracts from Wagner’s operas in concert. Similarly, arrangements of Verdi’s music frequently figured in the programmes of the Strauss Orchestra.

This unprecedented versatility made the Strauss Orchestra a cultural institution, exporting Viennese charm across Europe and beyond. Strauss embarked on tours to Russia, England, and America, where in 1872 he conducted 23 concerts in Boston, earning the moniker “the Mozart of the waltz.”   

The First Pop Star

Johann Strauss II in concert

Music historian H. E. Piggott describes Johann II as “the first pop star,” a composer whose “sheer consistency of invention” outshone all contemporaries. Strauss’ innate skill at instrumentation as well as his lifelong genius for melodic invention drew the praise of a number of composers.

Verdi said, “I honour him as one of my most gifted colleagues,: and even the usually grumpy Johannes Brahms once quipped, “sadly, the Blue Danube is not by me.” Brahms’ envy highlights Strauss’s effortless genius, as Strauss himself reflected. “Music is the most beautiful of all arts, for it is no more than feeling itself,” a sentiment that captures his intuitive blend of technical prowess and emotional immediacy.

Strauss’ operettas further cemented his fame, as he ventured into the theatrical realm with Die Fledermaus (1874) and Der Zigeunerbaron (1885). These sparkling confections, which premiered at the Theatre an der Wien, fused waltz rhythms with satirical plots, poking fun at Viennese high society while offering escapist fantasies.   

A Life of Contrasts

Yet, Strauss’ personal life was far less buoyant. Three marriages marked by scandal, including his 1886 citizenship change to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha for his third wife, left him isolated, dying childless in 1899 from pneumonia. “Happy is he who can forget what cannot be changed anymore,” he once wrote and set to music.

Through it all, the music of Strauss II embodied resilience. The theatre scholar Anke Charton argued in the University of Vienna lecture series “Strauss Topographies” that his oeuvre reflects Vienna’s socio-cultural pulse, “ranging from Biedermeier domesticity to fin-de-siècle decadence.”

Even Ralph Vaughan Williams, no fan of “salonesque miniatures,” conceded that “a waltz of Johann Strauss is good music in its proper place.” And that proper place was the ballroom, the concert hall, and the silver screen, all ensuring Strauss’ immortality.   

A Golden Milestone

Johann Strauss II

In 1894, Johann Strauss celebrated his golden jubilee year as a composer and conductor, and responding to an official toast, said, “The distinctions which you bestow upon me today I owe to my predecessors, my father and Joseph Lanner. They indicated to me the means by which progress is possible, through the broadening of the forms, and that is my single small contribution.”

The composer openly acknowledged that the fundamental structure of the Viennese waltz had been developed, expanded, and formalised by the elder Strauss and Lanner. Strauss II did, however, extend the form and provided greater coherence to each composition.

As scholars write, Strauss II developed the introduction to provide almost symphonic music, and “the waltz themes themselves were expanded melodically and harmonically to produce a seemingly homogenous entity.” In addition, the coda was lengthened to give balance to the whole. His masterly orchestration prompted Brahms to remark that “there is now no one who is as sure as he is in such matters.” 

Vienna’s Heartbeat

Johann Strauss Junior’s legacy is woven into the cultural fabric of Vienna and the world, his music embodying the spirit of an era while transcending time. Elevating the waltz from a simple dance to a symphonic art form, his compositions are not mere tunes but sonic portraits of 19th-century Vienna.

Strauss’ genius lay in his ability to distil complex emotions into accessible, unforgettable melodies, performed with his orchestra’s signature blend of precision and spirited warmth. His music became the heartbeat of Viennese society, played in glittering ballrooms and public gardens, uniting aristocrats and commoners in shared delight.

Strauss’ legacy also endures in the institutions and traditions he inspired, which continue to thrive in 2025. The Vienna Philharmonic, closely tied to the Strauss family, remains a custodian of his music, with its New Year’s Concert a global phenomenon. 

Music Uniting Generations

Monument of Johann Strauss II

Museums like the House of Strauss at Casino Zögernitz and the Johann Strauss Museum in Vienna preserve his manuscripts, instruments, and personal artefacts, offering glimpses into his creative process and the vibrant world he inhabited.

These spaces, alongside initiatives like the Vienna Institute for Strauss Research, underscore his role as a cultural titan whose music reflected and shaped Vienna’s identity as a musical capital. To be sure, his compositions have permeated popular culture, spawning modern reinterpretations in concerts and digital media.

Strauss’s ability to evoke joy and nostalgia ensures his music remains a living legacy. His bicentennial transcends nostalgia, as it interrogates his relevance. In a fragmented world, his waltzes foster communal joy, much as they did amid 19th-century upheavals.

Johann Strauss：Emperor Waltz Op. 437

15 Pieces of Classical Music About Trees

by Emily E. Hogstad, Interlude

No matter how many of us end up moving into towns and cities, human beings are still irresistibly drawn to forests, woodlands, and trees.

Classical composers are no exception. In fact, a huge percentage of them were great nature lovers (Beethoven, for one, often composed in his head during his walks), and many of them went so far as to write music inspired by forests.

Forest under bright sunlight © Flux AI Image Generator

Today, we’re looking at fifteen pieces of classical music about trees. Put on your hiking boots and join us!

Francesco Geminiani: La foresta incantata (1754)  

Italian composer Francesco Geminiani lived from 1687 to 1762. He helped to popularise the Italian style of violin playing abroad, most famously in London.

He was widely admired during his lifetime, being considered the equal of composers like Handel and Corelli, but for whatever reason, he has fallen out of favour today.

In 1754, he wrote a pantomime ballet called La foresta incantata (“The Enchanted Forest”).

Franz Schubert: Der Lindenbaum from Winterreise (1827)

Winterreise (“Winter Journey”) is a series of twenty-four songs for voice and piano.

These two dozen songs are narrated by a man who, when he hears of his beloved’s betrothal to another, goes on a wintertime journey to escape the memory of her.

Der Lindenbaum (“The Linden Tree”) is the fifth song of the cycle. In it, the narrator notices a linden tree as he travels. It serves as a reminder of happier days, during which he used to sit under one and enjoy his day.

As he passes, the linden tree seems to call out to him. However, he doesn’t turn back. Instead, he leaves the tree and all the memories it represents and keeps travelling forward into an uncertain, unsettled future.

Vincent d’Indy: La Forêt Enchantée (1878) 

French composer Vincent d’Indy wrote La Forêt Enchantée in 1878 when he was just twenty-seven years old.

At the time, Wagner was a major influence on the young composer (as he was to many young composers), and you can really hear that influence here.

In this piece, d’Indy follows the story of a knight named Harald, who visits an enchanted forest and meets seductive elves. In the finale, he drinks from an enchanted forest lake and falls into a deep sleep.

Franz Liszt: Waldesrauschen (1862-63) 

In the early 1860s, pianist and composer Franz Liszt wrote two concert etudes. The first is called Waldesrauschen, or “Forest Murmurs.”

This piece uses the piano to imitate the sound of breezes blowing through trees. Those breezes begin very quietly with a marking of vivace, or “in a lively manner.” Eventually, the work and the wind become loud and passionate. 

Johann Strauss II: Tales from the Vienna Woods (1868)

One of the most famous parts of Vienna is its woods, found just outside the city. It’s a sizable woods: almost thirty miles long and between twelve to eighteen miles wide.

Julius Schmid: Beethoven’s Walk in Nature

Schubert and Beethoven often found creative inspiration in those woods, and so did Johann Strauss II.

In 1868, he wrote one of his famous waltzes (which is actually an arrangement of multiple waltzes) and called it Tales from the Vienna Woods.

It was inspired by the dances of the rural citizens. To imitate folk instruments, Strauss employed a zither.

Alexander Glazunov: The Forest (1887)

Russian composer Alexander Glazunov wrote an orchestral fantasy called The Forest at the age of twenty-two.

He wrote an entire program for it, describing in exacting detail what he’d seen in his mind’s eye: daybreak, birds chirping, the appearance of nymphs, a hunting party, and finally, more bird calls.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Forest of Fir Trees in Winter from The Nutcracker (1892) 

Every ballet lover knows the story of The Nutcracker. A little girl named Clara receives an enchanted nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. In the middle of the night, Clara visits the doll while the rest of the household is asleep – and magical events transpire.

After witnessing a battle between gingerbread soldiers and mice, Clara is astonished to see the nutcracker turn into a handsome prince.

The ballet’s first act ends when the prince leads her into a forest as snow falls. This stunning music by Tchaikovsky accompanies their journey.

Edward MacDowell: To an Old White Pine from New England Idyls (1896) 

In 1896, American composer Edward MacDowell and his wife moved into a farmhouse in the New Hampshire countryside.

MacDowell was deeply inspired by his New England surroundings. In 1902, he wrote a series of ten piano miniatures depicting various natural phenomena and history, including “An Old Garden” and “From Puritan Days.”

The seventh in the set of ten is called “To an Old White Pine.” There is a brief poem at the top of the score:

A giant of an ancient race
He stands, a stubborn sentinel
O’er swaying, gentle forest trees
That whisper at his feet.

John Ireland: The Almond Trees (1913)

John Ireland was an English composer born in 1879. He began his musical studies with piano and organ, then became interested in composition in the late 1890s.

The Almond Trees is a slender, evocative, meandering work with a real Impressionist tinge.

Jean Sibelius: The Trees (1914)

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius may be best-known for his symphonies, but his piano music is worth checking out, too.

One of the loveliest examples is The Trees, a collection of five sensitive pieces for solo piano.

Each movement is named after a particular species of tree: When the Rowan Blossoms, The Solitary Pine, The Aspen, The Birch and The Spruce.

Ottorino Respighi: The Pines of Rome (1924) 

The Pines of Rome is an orchestral tone poem in four movements, and possibly the most famous example of tree-inspired classical music.

The pines at the Villa Borghese

Each of the four movements portrays pines in a particular location in Rome: The Pines of the Villa Borghese, Pines Near a Catacomb, The Pines of the Janiculum, and The Pines of the Appian Way.

The piece moves backwards in time in a striking way. The first movement portrays children playing in twentieth-century Rome, but with each movement, Respighi goes further back in time, and by the end, he’s depicting a legion of Roman soldiers marching down the tree-lined Appian Way.

Arnold Bax: The Tale the Pine Trees Knew (1931) 

While listening to the ominous opening measures to Arnold Bax’s tone poem The Tale the Pine Trees Knew, one wonders what dark events these trees have witnessed.

We’re left to speculate since Bax didn’t leave a concrete program.

However, he did at least mention that the work was inspired by visits to Norway and Scotland. He wrote:

This work is concerned solely with the abstract mood of these places, and the pine trees’ tale must be taken purely as a generic one. Certainly, I had no specific coniferous story to relate.

Igor Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks (1937-38) 

In the late 1930s, American diplomat and philanthropist Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss gave themselves quite the anniversary gift: they commissioned a work by Igor Stravinsky!

Stravinsky answered the call by writing this attractive neoclassical concerto for chamber orchestra.

It was named after Dumbarton Oaks, the Bliss’s massive estate in Georgetown, Washington, DC.

If the name sounds familiar to you, it might be because a few years later, in 1944, the Dumbarton Oaks Conference was held at the estate. Participants came out of the conference with proposals for the establishment of what ultimately became the United Nations.

L’arbre des songes by Henri Dutilleux (1983-85) 

French composer Henri Dutilleux wrote L’arbre des songes (or “The Tree of Dreams”) in the mid-1980s. It’s a four-movement violin concerto that was dedicated to violinist Isaac Stern.

Dutilleux described it like this:

All in all the piece grows somewhat like a tree, for the constant multiplication and renewal of its branches is the lyrical essence of the tree. This symbolic image, as well as the notion of a seasonal cycle, inspired my choice of ‘L’arbre des songes’ as the title of the piece.

Treesong by John Williams (2001) 

American composer John Williams also took inspiration from trees when writing this violin concerto.

He found himself drawn to a particular tree at the Boston Public Garden: in his words, “a beautiful specimen of the Chinese dawn redwood, or metasequoia.”

This species of tree was once thought to have gone extinct. Fortunately, however, some modern-day examples were discovered, thereby saving the species and enabling modern humans to enjoy them.

Later, Williams met Dr. Shiu-Ying Hu, a botanist from Harvard. While they were walking in the Arnold Arboretum, she pointed out the oldest metasequoia and told the story of how she planted it in the 1940s.

“I was thunderstruck by this coincidence, and when I told her of ‘my’ metasequoia in the Public Garden, she informed me that the younger tree I loved so much was also one of her children,” Williams wrote.

The awe and human warmth of this realisation, along with Williams’s love for these trees, colours TreeSong.

Conclusion

From John Williams’s portrait of redwoods to Geminiani’s portrait of an enchanted forest, it’s clear that composers from every generation have enjoyed branching out by writing tree-inspired music, and there will surely be more tree-inspired music to come!

Which of these works best evokes the magic of trees? Have we missed any of your favourites? Let us know!

Composers of the Zodiac: Tropic of Scorpio

by Georg Predota, Interlude

Constellation of Scorpio

The constellation of Scorpio is associated with a number of myths. In one version rooted in Greek mythology, the legendary hunter Orion boasted to the goddess Artemis that he would kill every animal on Earth. Insulted by Orion’s excessive pride, Artemis sent a scorpion to kill Orion. Their heroic battle caught the attention of Zeus, who raised both combatants to the sky to serve as a stern reminder for mortals.

“Scorpio”, plate 23 in Urania’s Mirror
by Jehoshaphat Aspin

To this day, when Scorpio rules the night sky—from about October 23 to November 21—Orion goes away. It has been said the Scorpio is one of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac. Because of its incredible passion and power, Scorpio is often mistaken for a fire sign. In fact, Scorpio is a water sign that derives its strength from the psychic and emotional realm. Extremely clairvoyant and intuitive, individuals born under the sign of Scorpio are imaginative and intense. They are ruled by Pluto (god of the Underworld) and Mars (god of War), and always know what they want and how to get it. Composer and pianist Roderick Elms, who for many years was the London pianist to cellist Mstislav Rostropovich as well as organist to the London Symphony Orchestra, provides his musical take on this powerful astrological sign.

Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet

Born on 25 October, Georges Bizet was a brilliant student at the Conservatoire de Paris, winning a great number of prizes including the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1857. Once he had returned to Paris after almost 3 years in Italy, he quickly found out that his music was not in demand. In the true spirit of a Scorpio, Bizet was nevertheless determined to orchestrate a career in music. His intentions weren’t necessarily nefarious, he simply knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to work hard to realize his ambitions. He was greatly optimistic about the premiere performance of his opera Carmen on 3 March 1875. In the event, it turned into a veritable disaster. The opera was on the verge of being withdrawn, and it has been suggested that the theater had to give away free tickets in order to boost attendance. Bizet, unfortunately died a mere three months after the premiere, and it is suspected that the negative reception contributed to his fatal heart attack. As a biographer wrote, “The spectacle of great works unwritten either because Bizet had other distractions… or because of his premature death, is infinitely dispiriting, yet the brilliance and the individuality of his best music is unmistakable.”

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland

Born on 14 November, Aaron Copland had a gift for natural leadership, and a great talent for management in all walks of life. On the outside, he displayed a deep calm while his true feelings were hidden deep within. Sensitive to the feelings of others, he displayed the greatest tact in all social interactions. Copland had a thorough understanding of the material world, and he clearly knew that his power and influence must be used for the benefit of mankind. And like a true Scorpio, he had the ability to inspire people and direct them to become part of his vision. Copland was a meticulous and hard worker, but he was easy going in almost all social situations. Realism was part of his nature as he dressed simply, yet he remained mysterious and sensitive. Copland easily bounced back from professional and personal failures, and true to his zodiac, he was wisely assertive throughout his life and in his music.

Johann Strauss 

Johann Strauss II

Seductive and beguiling, Scorpio is the sign most closely associated with sex. Sex isn’t solely about pleasure for the sensual scorpions, as they also crave the physical closeness, spiritual illumination, and the emotional intimacy that sex can provide. Well, Johann Strauss II, born on 25 October, certainly wasn’t shy when it came to sexual adventures. Like any good son, he initially tried to outdo his father in all aspect of life, particularly in music and sexual promiscuity. He mesmerized Viennese audiences, and in a blatant repeat of history, Vienna’s female population would swoon at the mere mention of his name. His popularity with the ladies got him into serious trouble, as on more than one occasion, jealous husbands challenged him to duels, and once he even had to seek refuge in the Austrian Embassy, barely escaping a double-barrel shotgun gently inviting him to marry a young Russian maid. When a planned marriage did not materialize, Strauss bedded dozens of eager groupies. Strauss II eventually did marry the mistress to a high-profile banker, but following her death, he frequented the local bordellos and after seven weeks he was married again. Be that as it may, music and sex definitely ruled the life of this Scorpio.

Niccolò Paganini

Niccolò Paganini

Born in Genoa on 27 October, Niccolò Paganini left an irrefutable mark on the history of instrumental music and 19th century social life. He was a born leader with extra-ordinary drive and determination. Once he made up his mind to study the violin and discover new and hitherto unsuspected effects that would astound people, nothing would stand in his way. He became obsessed with fame and money, and his relentless ambition translated into increasingly bizarre behavior. Supposedly, he was once invited to play at a funeral, but interrupted the ceremony with a twenty-minute solo concerto. And I am sure you’ve heard the story of him spending eight days in jail for drugging his girlfriend and forcing the abortion of his child. There was even a rumor that he had murdered a woman, used her intestines as violin strings and imprisoned her soul within the instrument. Women’s screams were supposedly heard from his violin when he performed on stage. Always concerned about appearances and to project success and self-satisfaction, this Scorpio demanded unconditional respect and attention.

15 Pieces of Classical Music About Trains

by Emily E. Hogstad, Interlude

Composers have always been inspired by trains, and it’s easy to understand why: the rhythmic chugging of steam engines, the sweeping landscapes viewed from a train window, and the sense of adventure and nostalgia associated with rail travel…

All of these sounds, sights, and feelings have inspired composers to create music that continues to resonate with audiences today.

All aboard as we chug through fifteen pieces of classical music about trains!

Eisenbahn-Lust Waltz by Johann Strauss I (1836) 

Johann Strauss I (the father of the composer of The Blue Danube) was a well-known composer and orchestra leader who wrote many pieces for various dances and celebrations.

In 1836, he wrote this ebullient waltz (which translates into “Train Ride Fun”) to celebrate the construction of early railroads. They were just beginning to connect communities near Vienna to the city proper.

Mikhail Glinka: Travelling Song from A Farewell to Saint Petersburg (1840) 

This work comes from a larger suite of works called A Farewell to St. Petersburg.

Glinka was going through a tough patch at the time, as his marriage was disintegrating (his wife would ultimately leave him for another man). He poured some of his personal feelings about turmoil and transition into this set of songs.

The frantic Travelling Song takes inspiration from the perpetual motion of steam locomotives – and probably the composer’s desire to escape his difficult circumstances!

Charles-Valentin Alkan: Le Chemin de Fer (1844) 

Charles-Valentin Alkan was once viewed as one of the greatest pianists of the nineteenth century, but after being passed over for a prestigious teaching position at the Paris Conservatoire, he largely withdrew from public life.

Today, he is best known for his personal eccentricity and the wonderfully original and staggeringly challenging piano music he left behind.

Although Strauss and Glinka’s works came earlier, this is the first work to graphically portray the sounds and motions of a train. It’s sometimes characterized as banal, but no one can deny that it’s fun!

Hector Berlioz: Le Chant des chemins de fer (1846) 

Le Chant des chemins de fer translates into Railroad Song.

Somewhat amusingly to modern ears, it’s a whole cantata for orchestra and voices dedicated to glorifying the French railroad (as well as a celebration of the labour of all those who made its construction possible).

The occasion of its composition was the opening of the Gare de Lille, the main railroad station in Lille, France.

Berlioz wrote this work over the course of three nights for the money. He wanted a cannonade to go off in the final chords for maximum drama, but unfortunately, one couldn’t be located in time for his grand artistic vision.

Hans Christian Lumbye: Copenaghen Steam Railway Galop (1847) 

Here’s another work composed to celebrate the opening of a railroad. This time, it was the opening of the first railroad in Denmark, which ran between Copenhagen and Roskilde.

Lumbye, a well-known composer of light music, pulled out all the train-based stops here. A bell clangs; whistles go off; percussion instruments unite to imitate the huff and puff of a steam-powered train rushing off to its new destination.

Lustfahrten, Walzer by Eduard Strauss (1879-80) 

Like father, like son! Eduard Strauss, like his father Johann Strauss I, also wrote a work to honour the railroad, this one called Lustfahrten, or “Pleasure Trips.”

It was dedicated to the “Comité des Eisenbahnballes” (The Railway Ball Committee). Presumably, every attendee present found it transporting.

The Great Crush Collision March by Scott Joplin (1896) 

Here’s one of the stranger entries on this list.

In 1896, a man named William George Crush, an agent with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad decided it would be a good idea to get rid of two of the railroad’s old locomotives by staging a massive trainwreck and selling train tickets to transport eager spectators directly to the scene of the crash.

A bespoke temporary town was built to accommodate the expected crowds. In the end, forty thousand people showed up!

Unfortunately, the crash turned into a disaster. The locomotives’ boilers exploded on impact, and two spectators died in the aftermath.

This extraordinary event was memorialized by up-and-coming composer Scott Joplin, who wrote a strangely upbeat piano piece portraying the deadly disaster.

Of special note are the notes he wrote in the score: “the noise of the trains while running at the rate of ninety miles an hour” and “the collision” (marked fortissimo, of course).

Pacific 231 by Arthur Honegger (1923) 

French composer Arthur Honegger was obsessed with trains. “I have always loved locomotives passionately,” he wrote. “For me, they are living creatures, and I love them as others love women or horses.”

So it makes sense that one of his first big successes was Pacific 231, an imaginative orchestral work that gives the impression of an ever-accelerating train.

It’s easy to tell from moment to moment what stage of its journey the train is in. Six boisterous minutes in, the train decelerates and arrives safely at the station.

Charles Ives: The Celestial Railroad (ca 1924) 

New England composer Charles Ives based his piano work The Celestial Railroad on the work of another New Englander: Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his short story of the same name.

In Hawthorne’s story, the narrator takes a train from the city of Destruction to the Celestial City. He begins talking with Mr. Smooth-It-Away, who is an expert on all things Celestial City, despite having never been there before. The story ends with Mr. Smooth-It-Away revealing his true form as a kind of demon. Luckily, in the end, it turns out to be a dream.

This work satirises the utopian and religious movements common in Hawethorne’s day, and Ives clearly enjoyed exploring the story’s themes in his own music.

When Ives wrote his fourth symphony, he adapted The Celestial Railroad into the symphony’s second movement.

Vladimir Deshevov: Rails (1926) 

There’s not a lot of information available online about composer Vladimir Deshevov besides the fact that he was born in 1889 and died in 1955.

However, this evocative fleeting portrait of a speeding train deserves a spot on this list, anyway!

Heitor Villa-Lobos: The Little Train of Caipira from Bachianas brasileiras No. 2 (1930) 

Translated into rough English, “Bachianas brasileiras” means “Bach-inspired Brazilian pieces.”

Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote a series of them, combining the European classical tradition with folk music influences from South America.

The finale of the second Bachiana Brasileira is called The Little Train of the Caipira. (A caipira is a person from a more rural area in Brazil.)

This piece follows the caipira’s journey through the countryside of Brazil. It’s up to listeners to decide what happens once the train decelerates and pulls into the station.

Benjamin Britten: Night Mail (1936) 

In 1935, British directors Harry Watt and Basil Wright created a twenty-minute documentary about the distribution of mail in Britain. It may have been an unassuming subject, but the work turned into a classic.

Poet and author W.H. Auden was involved with the production and wrote poetry for it. Meanwhile, his creative partner, composer Benjamin Britten, wrote the score.

The two men fused their efforts in this unusual spoken-word piece featuring both Auden’s poetry and Britten’s music.

Bohuslav Martinů: Le Train Hanté (1937) 

Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů wrote Le Train hante, or The Haunted Train, in 1937 for that year’s World Exhibition in Paris.

The work isn’t about passenger trains but rather an amusement park train ride, which explains the music’s manic, fairground-like qualities.

Steve Reich: Different Trains (1988) 

Steve Reich’s Different Trains was inspired by the fact that, as a Jewish American boy born in 1936, Reich often took train rides across the country to see his relatives. Once he got older, he realised that if he’d been born in Europe at the same time, he might have been forced to ride a train to another destination: a concentration camp.

The work is scored for string quartet and tape. The tapes include interviews with Americans reminiscing about their train journeys and Europeans describing their experiences on trains during the Holocaust. The sounds of sirens, whistles, trains, and even a string quartet were also recorded and woven into the music.

Ian Clarke: The Great Train Race (1993) 

Composer Ian Clarke describes this train-inspired showstopper for flute-like so:

Techniques include residual/breathy fast tonguing, multiphonics, singing & playing, lip bending, explosive harmonics and an optional circular breathing section. A forward with explanations of the techniques is given along with fingerings in the score for easy reference. The multiphonics used are of the more friendly variety; seven from only four different fingerings.

It is astonishing to hear how a talented flutist can evoke an entire train with no other instruments present!

Conclusion

These fifteen pieces of classical music about trains have taken us on quite a musical journey. We hope you’ve enjoyed it. Mind the gap as you disembark onto the platform!

Johann Strauss II - Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388 (Walzer)

Rosen aus dem Süden (Roses From the South), Op. 388, is a waltz medley composed by Johann Strauss II in 1880 with its themes drawn from the operetta Das Spitzentuch der Königin (The Queen's Lace Handkerchief). Strauss dedicated the waltz to King Umberto I of Italy. The waltz ranks among the "Waltz King's" magnificent works and is still regularly performed today at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. The general mood of the piece is rather pensive but the final moments of the piece are utter joy and sparkling with Strauss happier tunes. Waltz section 1 is in F major and is graceful but pensive in mood. Waltz 2A is also in a more reflective mood but waltz 2B is more uplifting. The entire waltz 3 section is in G major while waltz section 4 is in E-flat major and has the climax with cymbals. A restless-sounding coda in E flat is soon replaced with a reprise of the waltz 3A. Waltz 1A has a brief show at the end before the waltz 4B is introduced, this time in the home key of F major. A series of descending chords marks the end of the waltz, underlined with a drum roll and final flourish. Performers: - Vienna Philharmonic - Daniel Barenboim (Conductor)

Carlos Kleiber -Johann Strauss II "Unter Donner und Blitz"

Strauss ~ The Blue Danube Waltz

The Waltz King – Three Strauss Brothers

 By Janet Horvath, Interlude

Johann Strauss II © classical.net/

Johann Strauss II, or Junior, or the younger The Waltz King, (not related to Richard), composed over 400 of the world’s most beloved waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, dance music and operettas. These include the perennial favorites: An der Schonen Blauen Donau (The Beautiful Blue Danube), Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Fruhlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Kaiser-Walzer (Emperor Waltz), and the comic operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat).

Eduard Strauss

Johann Strauss was born in 1825. His father, Johann Strauss I, was the founder of the Strauss orchestra, and composer of the Radetzky March. This famous work, often featured as an encore piece, is infectious and inspires rhythmic clapping from the audience. Johann senior wanted his son to avoid the vicissitudes of life as a musician. He was determined that his son should become a banker—a respectable position. Johann Jr. was desperate to study the violin. He took lessons from a member of Johann senior’s orchestra in secret but one day Johann was discovered practicing the violin. Despite the severe whipping Johann received at the hand of his father it didn’t deter the younger Strauss. He continued his practicing. When he was ready to make his debut as a composer with his own orchestra, local establishments resisted employing him, afraid that they might anger Strauss I. Nonetheless, Dommayer’s Casino, the tavern where Strauss I had had many successes, decided to risk it and they invited Johann to perform. This sparked an intense rivalry between the two. Johann Senior was irate and he never performed at Dommayer’s again. Strauss II went on to become the more famous musical personality.

Johann Junior had many fans among the composers of the time including Richard Strauss who said, “How can I forget the laughing genius of Vienna?”

Johann Strauss

When the ladies in the audience were impressed with a performer or composer it was the custom to ask for their autograph. A fanciful fan was an important accessory for women in those days and the tradition was that the composer would scribble a few bars of one of their compositions as well as their signature on the fan. When Adele, Johann’s wife, approached Johannes Brahms for his autograph, Brahms immediately wrote out a few notes of The Blue Danube and added, “Unfortunately NOT by Johannes Brahms.”

Johann Junior had two younger brothers who were also amazingly gifted musicians—Josef and Eduard. Josef Strauss established himself as an architectural draftsman even though he excelled as a painter, poet, singer, composer, writer and inventor. Johann said of Josef, “He is the more gifted of us two; I am merely the more popular.” Johann was in constant demand both in Europe and overseas resulting in a nervous breakdown in 1853. Josef was the more introverted of the two, but it was he who was coerced by the family into taking over the Strauss orchestra and the family business while Johann recovered. Josef eventually gave up his career to compose over 300 dances and marches and 500 arrangements of music of other composers. One of the most loved polkas—the Pizzicato Polka for strings, which is plucked throughout— was a collaborative effort between Josef and Johann. Strauss Senior was right that music is a hazardous profession! Ironically, Josef died from a fall off the conductor’s podium.

Johann Strauss I © classical.net/

Eduard, the youngest brother’s first choice of a career was to serve in the diplomatic service as he was fluent in several languages. Eventually he joined the Strauss family orchestra as its harpist and then as conductor. Eduard was the least successful of the Strauss dynasty even though his output was prolific—over 320 dances, marches and witty polkas. It was as the conductor of the orchestra that he made his mark.

There is some discussion about Eduard’s behavior toward the end of his life. There had been considerable rivalry among the brothers. To his credit, Eduard did publish a catalog of the Strauss works, but in 1907 he had the Strauss collection incinerated. What were his motives? Had he made a pact with Josef that whoever outlived the other he would burn the family archives so that no other composer could claim any of their works, or was he embittered by his own lack of success as compared to the rest of the family? Fortunately, the collection was reconstructed some decades later.

Today the Strauss tradition continues in Vienna. A waltz orchestra performs in Stadt Park behind a huge golden statue of Johann, the Waltz King, conducting with his violin in hand. Each year on New Year’s Eve the Vienna Philharmonic performs these beloved works. The celebration, broadcast internationally, takes place at the Musikverein with its golden interior and frescoed ceilings. Next year don’t miss this fabulous presentation!

Orchestras everywhere perform the Strauss works as we did in the Minnesota Orchestra. During our annual “Sommerfest” each summer, we would play several sold out all-Strauss evenings. The works are as delightful to audiences today as they were when the Strauss family orchestra was at its epitome and the Strauss brothers were the darlings of Europe.