Johann Strauss was the original waltz king of Vienna. His early playing
experience was in the orchestra of Joseph Lanner. After forming his own
orchestra, he transformed the rigid oom-pah of the Landler Dance into the more
elegant (but still somewhat risque) Viennese Waltz.
Strauss himself won wide acclaim as composer, conductor and violinist. After
1835 he provided the dance music for the Austrian Emperor's court, turning out
large quantities of waltzes, of which he wrote over 150 sets, plus cotillions,
gallops, quadrilles, polkas, potpourris and marches. His best known composition
is the Radetzky March. His music is refined and genteel, but still retains much
of the character of its Austrian folk music background.
