Eduard Strauss facts for kids
Eduard "Edi" Strauss (born March 15, 1835, died December 28, 1916) was an important Austrian composer. He was part of the famous Strauss family, known for their music. His brothers, Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss, were also famous musicians. Their father was Johann Strauss I. The Strauss family was very popular in Vienna, Austria, for many years. They wrote lots of waltzes and polkas. People all over Europe loved their dance music. His family called him 'Edi'.
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Life as a Musician
Eduard Strauss had his own special music style. He did not try to copy his brothers or other composers. People mostly knew him as a conductor of dance music. He was not as famous as his older brothers for composing. Because of this, he created his own type of fast polka, called "polka-schnell" in German.
Some of his popular polkas include "Bahn Frei!", Op. 45, "Ausser Rand und Band", Op. 168, and "Ohne Bremse", Op. 238. He also wrote some beautiful waltzes. The most famous one is probably "Doctrinen", Op.79. Eduard led the Strauss Orchestra until it stopped performing in 1901.
Musical Rivalries
Eduard Strauss faced competition throughout his music career. Not only from his brothers, but also from another bandleader named Karl Michael Ziehrer. Ziehrer even started a rival orchestra. He called it "Formerly Eduard Strauss Orchestra". Eduard Strauss took him to court for using his name unfairly. Eduard won the case. However, Ziehrer later became more popular in Vienna than the Strauss family. This happened especially after Eduard's more famous brothers, Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss, passed away. Their competition lasted until the Strauss Orchestra broke up.
Family and Retirement
Eduard Strauss married Maria Klenkhart on January 8, 1863. They had two sons, Johann Strauss III and Josef Eduard Strauss. His older son, Johann Strauss III, helped bring the Strauss family's music back to life in the 20th century. Josef Eduard's son, Eduard Strauss II, also became a conductor.
In the 1890s, Eduard faced some tough times. His brother Johann Strauss II died in 1899. Eduard also realized that his family had spent much of his money. Because of these reasons, he decided to retire. He went on a final music tour to North America in 1899. In 1901, he closed down the Strauss Orchestra for good. He then returned to Vienna, where he passed away in 1916. He stopped performing in public. However, he did write down his family memories in a book called Erinnerungen in 1906. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhof cemetery in Vienna.
Music Archives
Since 1825, the Strauss Orchestra Archives collected music from Eduard and the rest of the Strauss family. In October 1907, Eduard oversaw the burning of many Strauss family music papers. Eighty years later, two conductors, Alfred Walker and Klaus Heymann, worked to gather almost all of Johann Strauss II's music.
Works of Eduard Strauss
Works with Strauss Brothers
- Trifolien waltz, ('Trefoil') (with Johann II and Josef Strauss) (1865)
- Schützen quadrille, ('Sharpshooter') (with Johann II and Josef Strauss) (1866)
See also
In Spanish: Eduard Strauss para niños
- The Strauss Family – TV Drama
- Strauss Museum Vienna
