"[
Josef] is the more gifted of us two; I am merely the more popular…" - Johann Strauss II on his brother.
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| l.to r.: Eduard, Johann II, and Josef Strauss |
"Josef Strauss (1827 - 1870)was trained as an engineer, and worked for the city of Vienna. He received several patents for various devices, and, it was only when his elder brother, Johann II, became ill from over-work, that he reluctantly took over - temporarily, he thought - the leadership of the Strauss orchestra. However, his creative mind soon caused Johann to envy him, and to acknowledge him the most talented of the three brothers." Josef's best-known composition are the waltzes
Village Swallows from Austria (1864),
The Mysterious Powers of Magnetism (1865) and
Music of the Spheres (1868) as well as co-writing the Pizzicato-Polka (1869) with his brother Johann.
Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Marco Polo - Josef Strauss Edition (290 tracks, 26 albums, total time: 26 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in
album view. See
Naxos for album list and liner notes.
Josef Strauss was sickly most of his life. He suffered fainting spells and intense headaches.During a tour to Poland in 1870, he fell unconscious from the conductor's podium while conducting his 'Musical Potpourri'.It is not sure if he fainted and hit his head or simply became unconscious. His wife brought him back home to Vienna, to the Hirschenhaus, where on 22 July 1870 the engineer, designer, musician, and composer died:(
ReplyDeleteSome of the greatest inventors of our time. The world now is being destroyed. wordle unlimited
ReplyDeleteJosef Strauss's journey from engineer to composer is impressive! His waltzes, like "Village Swallows from Austria," truly highlight his creativity and talent.
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