The Blue Danube facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Blue Danube |
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| Waltz by Johann Strauss II | |
"The Blue Danube" (1867)
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| Year | 1866 |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 15 February 1867 |
| Location | Diana Baths, Vienna |
| Conductor | Rudolf Weinwurm |
"The Blue Danube" is a very famous waltz song. It was written by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II in 1866. Its full German name is "An der schönen blauen Donau", which means "By the Beautiful Blue Danube". It's also known as Opus 314, which is a way to number a composer's works.
The song was first played on February 15, 1867, in Vienna, Austria. It was performed by the Vienna Men's Choral Association. Even though it's super popular today, it wasn't a huge success at first. Strauss even joked about it, saying he only liked the very end of the song!
After the music was first written, a poet named Joseph Weyl added words to it. Later, Strauss made some changes to the music, so Weyl had to change the words too. Strauss then made a version just for an orchestra, without any singing. This orchestral version became a huge hit at the 1867 Paris World's Fair. Today, this instrumental version is the one you hear most often. Another set of lyrics was written by Franz von Gernerth, titled "Donau so blau" (Danube so blue). "The Blue Danube" was first played in the United States on July 1, 1867, and in the UK on September 21, 1867.
A famous composer named Johannes Brahms once wrote the first notes of "The Blue Danube" on a fan for Strauss's stepdaughter. He then added, "Unfortunately not by Johannes Brahms," showing how much he admired the piece.
What Instruments Play "The Blue Danube"?
"The Blue Danube" is played by a full orchestra. Here are the main groups of instruments used:
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The Choral Version
"The Blue Danube" was first written as a song for a choir. It was meant for a carnival and had funny, even a bit sarcastic, lyrics. This was because Austria had just lost a war with Prussia. The original title also referred to a poem about the Danube River in a town called Baja, Hungary, not in Vienna.
Later, new lyrics were written by Franz von Gernerth. These new words were more serious and "official-sounding." They talked about the beauty of the Danube River and its importance to Vienna and the surrounding lands. While the original German lyrics are quite long, the orchestral version without singing is much more famous today.
See also
In Spanish: El Danubio azul para niños
