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45-620: Rudolph Aronson (April 8, 1856 – February 4, 1919) was an American impresario and composer who was most notable for founding the Casino Theatre in New York City . Aronson was born on April 8, 1856, in New York City to German immigrants . At age six, Aronson started playing piano while attending Grammar School No. 35 . Aronson later attended the Packard Business College , looking to have

90-598: A business career, but his music teacher Leopold von Meyer saw his potential in a music career, persuading his parents to start his education on violin and music theory . On July 8, 1870, Aronson attended his first concert along with his brother Joseph at the Academy of Music which was under the direction of Patrick Gilmore . One of the composers included in the concert, was Johann Strauss II , who would largely influence Aronson to pursue composing. At age sixteen, Aronson composed his first waltz called " Arcadian ", which

135-780: A few measures from the "Blue Danube", and then wrote beneath it: "Unfortunately, NOT by Johannes Brahms." The most famous of Strauss's operettas are Die Fledermaus , Eine Nacht in Venedig , and Der Zigeunerbaron . There are many dance pieces drawn from themes of his operettas, such as "Cagliostro-Walzer" Op. 370 (from Cagliostro in Wien ), "O Schöner Mai" Walzer Op. 375 (from Prinz Methusalem ), " Rosen aus dem Süden " Walzer Op. 388 (from Das Spitzentuch der Königin ), and " Kuss-Walzer " op. 400 (from Der lustige Krieg ), that have survived obscurity and become well-known. Strauss also wrote an opera, Ritter Pázmán , and

180-578: A leading role in orchestrating events. Jacques Cousteau said of himself that he was an impresario of scientists as an explorer and filmmaker who worked with scientists in underwater exploration. Nicholas Wade described James Watson and E. O. Wilson in The New York Times as impresarios of Charles Darwin 's works. Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II ( German: [ˈjoːhan bapˈtɪst ˈʃtʁaʊs] ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr. ,

225-444: A mistress, Emilie Trampusch  [ de ] , that the son was able to concentrate fully on a career as a composer with the support of his mother. Strauss studied counterpoint and harmony with theorist Professor Joachim Hoffmann, who owned a private music school. His talents were also recognized by composer Joseph Drechsler , who taught him exercises in harmony. It was during that time that he composed his only sacred work,

270-463: A part of Neubau ), Austria, on 25 October 1825, to the composer Johann Strauss I and his first wife, Maria Anna Streim. His paternal great-grandfather was a Hungarian Jew – a fact which the Nazis, who lionised Strauss's music as "so German", later tried to conceal. His father did not want him to become a musician but rather a banker. Nevertheless, Strauss Jr. studied the violin secretly as a child with

315-791: A plan of building the Casino Theatre, which he wanted to have the world's first roof garden on. He then went on another trip to Europe, where he visited many gardens including the Kroll's Garten in Berlin and the Volksgarten in Vienna, to gain inspiration for his roof garden. Aronson returned to New York in April 1881, and began raising capital by suggesting the idea to establish a European Casino to multiple wealthy businessmen. He then established

360-676: A pupil of Émile Durand at the Conservatoire de Paris where he studied harmony , counterpoint , instrumentation and musical composition for three years. While in Paris, he completed numerous compositions which most notably included the " Marche Triomphale ", which was performed at the Johann Strauss Monster Concert in Berlin on June 17, 1876. In August 1876, he then travelled to Bayreuth where he experienced

405-590: The World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival in Boston at the invitation of bandmaster Patrick Gilmore and was the lead conductor in a "Monster Concert" of over 1000 performers performing his " Blue Danube " waltz. He also conducted other pieces of his at the Festival with a smaller orchestra to great acclaim. As was customary at the time, requests for personal mementos from celebrities were often in

450-678: The gradual Tu qui regis totum orbem (1844). His other violin teacher, Anton Kollmann, who was the ballet répétiteur of the Vienna Court Opera , also wrote excellent testimonials for him. Armed with these, he approached the Viennese authorities to apply for a license to perform. He initially formed his small orchestra where he recruited his members at the Zur Stadt Belgrad tavern, where musicians seeking work could be hired easily. Johann Strauss I's influence over

495-432: The operettas Der Zigeunerbaron and Waldmeister and the waltzes " Kaiser-Walzer " Op. 437, "Kaiser Jubiläum" Op. 434, and "Klug Gretelein" Op. 462. Although Strauss was the most sought-after composer of dance music in the latter half of the 19th century, Carl Michael Ziehrer and Émile Waldteufel provided stiff competition; the latter held a commanding position in Paris. Also, Philipp Fahrbach denied

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540-465: The " New York Casino Company ", gaining its name from the Newport Casino . The building was then planned and designed by Francis H. Kimball and Thomas Wisedell, who were originally skeptical about the idea of a roof garden, arguing that the weight of the people would be too much for the roof to hold, yet Aronson persisted. After eventually convincing the architects, they found a way to construct

585-489: The 1848 revolution. Strauss Jr. eventually attained greater fame than his father and became one of the most popular waltz composers of the era, extensively touring Austria, Poland and Germany with his orchestra. He applied for the position of KK Hofballmusikdirektor (Music Director of the Royal Court Balls), which he finally attained in 1863, after being denied several times before for his frequent brushes with

630-726: The Praterstrasse , where he lived in the 1860s, is now part of the Vienna Museum . The Strauss Museum is about the whole family, with a focus on Johann Strauss II. The lives of the Strauss dynasty members are the subject of several film and television features, such as The Great Waltz (1938), remade in 1972 ; The Strauss Family (1972); The Strauss Dynasty (1991) and Strauss, the King of 3/4 Time (1995). Many other films used his works and melodies. Alfred Hitchcock made

675-597: The Strauss Orchestra on 13 February 1901 after concerts in 840 cities around the globe, and pawned the instruments. The orchestra's last violins were destroyed in the firestorm of the Second World War. Most of the Strauss works that are performed today may once have existed in a slightly different form, as Eduard Strauss destroyed much of the original Strauss orchestral archives in a furnace factory in Vienna's Mariahilf district in 1907. Eduard, then

720-507: The Younger or the Son (German: Johann Strauß Sohn ), was an Austrian composer of light music , particularly dance music and operettas as well as a violinist. He composed over 500 waltzes , polkas , quadrilles , and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas and a ballet. In his lifetime, he was known as "The Waltz King", and was largely responsible for the popularity of

765-763: The actress Angelika Dittrich. Dittrich was not a fervent supporter of his music, and their differences in status and opinion, and especially her indiscretion, led him to seek a divorce. Strauss was not granted a decree of annulment by the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore changed religion and nationality, and became a citizen of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in January 1887. Strauss sought solace in his third wife Adele Deutsch, whom he married in August 1887. She encouraged his creative talent to flow once more in his later years, resulting in many famous compositions, such as

810-573: The architects. The building was completed on September 11, 1882, and was visited multiple times by poet Edwin Arnold who said it "was the finest example of Moorish architecture he had encountered". On October 22, 1882, the first concert was held by Maurice Grau 's opera companies and an orchestra consisting of sixty musicians under Aronson's conductorship. Aronson built and managed hotels throughout New York and Puerto Rico until his death on February 4, 1919. Impresario The term originated in

855-458: The building and construction was started in December 1881. In January 1882, Aronson made another trip to Europe to further gain attraction for his theatre. He at first visited Johann Strauss II and then Émile Waldteufel , who both declined upon the request to perform at his theatre. Returning from Europe in April 1882, Aronson wanted the building to be completed as fast as possible, hurrying

900-697: The first Bayreuth Festival , and later reported his experiences to the American Register of Paris. In May 1887, upon his return from his study trip, he performed numerous of his waltzes, which were originally composed for the Centennial Exposition , at a concert in Gilmore's Garden which was organized by Patrick Gilmore . On a trip crossing the Atlantic Ocean back to New York, he met Charles D. Lanier to which he suggested

945-425: The first violinist of his father's orchestra, Franz Amon . When his father discovered his son secretly practising on a violin one day, he gave him a severe whipping, saying that he was going to beat the music out of the boy. It seems that rather than trying to avoid a Strauss rivalry, the elder Strauss only wanted his son to escape the rigours of a musician's life. It was only when the father abandoned his family for

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990-470: The form of a lock of hair. In the case of Strauss during his visit to America, his valet obliged by clipping Strauss's black Newfoundland dog and providing "authentic Strauss hair" to adoring female fans. However, on account of the high volume of demand, there grew a fear that the dog would be trimmed bald. Strauss married the singer Henrietta Treffz in 1862, and they remained together until her death in 1878. Six weeks after her death, Strauss married

1035-479: The future, and three-quarter time will find a strong footing in him." Despite the initial fanfare, Strauss found his early years as a composer difficult, but he soon won over audiences after accepting commissions to perform away from home. The first major appointment for the young composer was his award of the honorary position of "Kapellmeister of the 2nd Vienna Citizen's Regiment", which had been left vacant following Joseph Lanner 's death two years before. Vienna

1080-414: The gambling operation and introduced roulette . Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg was a harpsichordist who also presided over seventeenth-century North German court music as an impresario. The traditional term is still used in the entertainment industry to refer to a producer of concerts , tours and other events in music, opera, theatre , and even rodeo . Important modern impresarios in

1125-505: The idea of a concert hall called the " European Concert Garden ", to which Lanier proposed the name " The Metropolitan Concert Hall ". They then enlisted the help of Joseph Seligman to establish the " Metropolitan Concert Company ". The Metropolitan Concert Hall was constructed in 1880 by architect George B. Post and was modelled after other concert halls in Berlin and Vienna . After his successful waltz " Sweet Sixteen ", which reached several hundred thousand copies, he started evolving

1170-477: The laughing genius of Vienna?" Johannes Brahms was a personal friend of Strauss; the latter dedicated his waltz " Seid umschlungen, Millionen! " ("Be Embraced, You Millions!"), Op. 443, to him. A story is told in biographies of both men that Strauss's wife Adele approached Brahms with a customary request that he autograph her fan. It was usual for the composer to inscribe a few measures of his best-known music, and then sign his name. Brahms, however, inscribed

1215-418: The local authorities. In 1853, due to constant mental and physical demands, Strauss suffered a nervous breakdown. He took a seven-week vacation in the countryside in the summer of that year on the advice of doctors. Johann's younger brother Josef was persuaded by his family to abandon his career as an engineer and take command of Johann's orchestra in the interim. In 1855, Strauss accepted commissions from

1260-467: The local entertainment establishments meant that many of them were wary of offering the younger Strauss a contract for fear of angering the father. Strauss Jr. was able to persuade Dommayer's Casino in Hietzing , a suburb of Vienna, to allow him to perform. The elder Strauss, in anger at his son's disobedience, and at that of the proprietor, refused to ever play again at Dommayer's Casino, which had been

1305-701: The management of the Tsarskoye-Selo Railway Company of Saint Petersburg to play in Russia for the Vauxhall Pavilion at Pavlovsk in 1856. He would return to perform in Russia every year until 1865. In 1862, the 27-year-old Eduard Strauss officially joined the Strauss orchestra as another conductor, and he and his brother Josef would lead it until 1870. Strauss came to the United States in 1872, where he took part in

1350-580: The middleman in a series of successful seasons he produced for the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. He presented the premieres of the first version of Giuseppe Verdi 's Macbeth , two of Vincenzo Bellini 's operas and five of Gaetano Donizetti 's, including Lucia di Lammermoor . Domenico Barbaia (1778–1841) began as a café waiter and made a fortune at La Scala , in Milan, where he was also in charge of

1395-590: The name Strauss can be found in reference books frequently with " ß " (Strauß), Strauss himself wrote his name with a long "s" and a round "s" (Strauſs), which was a replacement form for the Fraktur -ß used in antique manuscripts. His family called him "Schani" (Johnny), derived from the French "Jean" with addition of the endearment ending "-i". Strauss was born into a Catholic family in St Ulrich near Vienna (now

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1440-506: The only surviving brother of the three, took this drastic precaution after agreeing to a pact between himself and brother Josef that whoever outlived the other was to destroy their works. The measure was intended to prevent the Strauss family's works from being claimed by another composer. This may also have been fueled by Strauss's rivalry with another of Vienna's popular waltz and march composers, Carl Michael Ziehrer . Two museums in Vienna are dedicated to Johann Strauss II. His residence in

1485-545: The site of many of his earlier triumphs. Strauss made his debut at Dommayer's in October 1844, where he performed some of his first works, such as the waltzes " Sinngedichte ", Op. 1 and " Gunstwerber ", Op. 4 and the polka " Herzenslust ", Op. 3. Critics and the press were unanimous in their praise of Strauss's music. A critic for Der Wanderer commented that "Strauss's name will be worthily continued in his son; children and children's children can look forward to

1530-471: The social and economic world of Italian opera , in which from the mid-18th century to the 1830s, the impresario was the key figure in the organization of a lyric season. The owners of the theatre, usually amateurs from the nobility, charged the impresario with hiring a composer (until the 1850s operas were expected to be new) and the orchestra, singers, costumes and sets, all while assuming considerable financial risk. In 1786 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart satirized

1575-461: The stress and emotional mayhem in a single-act farce Der Schauspieldirektor ( The Impresario ). Antonio Vivaldi was unusual in acting as both impresario and composer; in 1714 he managed seasons at Teatro San Angelo in Venice, where his opera Orlando finto pazzo was followed by numerous others. Alessandro Lanari (1787–1852), who began as the owner of a shop that produced costumes, eliminated

1620-565: The time of his death, he was still composing his ballet Aschenbrödel . As a result of the efforts by Clemens Krauss , who performed a special all-Strauss programme in 1929 with the Vienna Philharmonic , Strauss's music is now regularly performed at the annual Vienna New Year's Concert . Distinguished Strauss interpreters include Willi Boskovsky , who carried on the Vorgeiger tradition of conducting with violin in hand, as

1665-569: The traditional sense include Thomas Beecham , Rudolf Bing , Sergei Diaghilev , Richard D'Oyly Carte , Fortune Gallo , Sol Hurok , Sarah Caldwell , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Aaron Richmond , and jazz festival producer George Wein . Bill Graham , who produced music shows at The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, was known as a rock music impresario. The term is occasionally applied to others, such as independent art museum curators , event planners, and conference organizers who have

1710-641: The waltz in 19th century|Vienna during the 19th century. Some of Johann Strauss's most famous works include " The Blue Danube ", " Kaiser-Walzer " (Emperor Waltz), " Tales from the Vienna Woods ", " Frühlingsstimmen ", and the " Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka ". Among his operettas, Die Fledermaus and Der Zigeunerbaron are the best known. Strauss was the son of Johann Strauss I and his first wife Maria Anna Streim. Two younger brothers, Josef and Eduard Strauss , also became composers of light music, although they were never as well known as their brother. Although

1755-547: The younger Strauss merged both their orchestras and engaged in further tours. Later, he also composed a number of patriotic marches dedicated to the Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef I , such as the "Kaiser Franz-Josef Marsch" Op. 67 and the "Kaiser Franz Josef Rettungs Jubel-Marsch" Op. 126, probably to ingratiate himself in the eyes of the new monarch, who had ascended the Austrian throne after

1800-636: The younger Strauss the commanding position of the KK Hofballmusikdirektor when the latter first applied for the post. The German operetta composer Jacques Offenbach , who made his name in Paris, also posed a challenge to Strauss in the operetta field. Strauss was admired by other prominent composers: Richard Wagner once admitted that he liked the waltz " Wein, Weib und Gesang " (Wine, Women and Song) Op. 333. Richard Strauss (unrelated), when writing his Rosenkavalier waltzes, said in reference to Johann Strauss, "How could I forget

1845-486: The younger Strauss was also arrested by the Viennese authorities for publicly playing " La Marseillaise ", but was later acquitted. The elder Strauss remained loyal to the monarchy and composed his " Radetzky March ", Op. 228 (dedicated to the Habsburg field marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz ), which would become one of his best-known compositions. When the elder Strauss died from scarlet fever in Vienna in 1849,

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1890-532: Was first performed at the Arcadian Club. The waltz was published on September 7, 1873, and was first publicly played by Theodore Thomas 's orchestra at Central Park Garden. After the success of his waltz, Aronson felt encouraged to go to a study trip throughout Europe. Accompanied by his three sisters, Aronson left for his trip shortly after his mothers death. After arriving in Paris in 1874, Aronson became

1935-481: Was in the middle of composing a ballet, Aschenbrödel , when he died in 1899. Strauss often suffered from a variety of lifelong health problems, including hypochondria , several phobias , and bronchial catarrh . In late May of 1899, he developed a respiratory illness which developed into pleuropneumonia , and on 3 June 1899 he died in Vienna, at the age of 73. He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof . At

1980-621: Was the Strauss family custom, as well as Herbert von Karajan , Carlos Kleiber , Lorin Maazel , Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti . In addition, the Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester , which was formed in 1966, pays tribute to the touring orchestras which once made the Strauss family so famous. In 1987 Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu also created a Johann Strauss Orchestra . Eduard Strauss surprisingly wound up

2025-516: Was wracked by the revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire , and the intense rivalry between father and son became much more apparent. The son decided to side with the revolutionaries. It was a decision that was professionally disadvantageous, as the Austrian royalty twice denied him the much coveted position of KK Hofballmusikdirektor , which was first designated especially for Johann I in recognition of his musical contributions. Further,

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