Conductor, Composer. The youngest member of the famous Strauss musical dynasty. Born in Vienna, he was the son of Johann Strauss, Sr. and brother of Johann Strauss, Jr. and Josef Strauss. From age 20 he trained as a conductor with the family's smaller satellite ensembles and in 1863 was named deputy director of the main Strauss Orchestra. He became principal conductor after Josef's death in 1870 and held that post for 30 years. Known as a martinet on the podium and a contentious man off, Eduard was nevertheless a skillful and energetic interpreter who did much to promote Viennese dance music beyond Austria's borders. Over the years he took his orchestra to 840 cities and towns throughout Europe and North America, introducing many of brother Johann's new works. He was a prolific composer himself with some 300 waltzes and other dances to his credit, but very few of them attained popularity. Perhaps his best known pieces today are the "Doctrinen Waltz" and a few examples of his specialty, the "polka-schnell" ("fast polka"). Following a series of personal and professional setbacks - among them Johann's death in 1899 and increasing competition from younger musicians - Eduard disbanded the Strauss Orchestra in February 1901 and retired. It had been a Vienna institution for three quarters of a century. Historians and aficionados are not likely to forgive him for burning the entire Strauss archive in 1906, allegedly fulfilling a pact he made with Johann that the last surviving Strauss brother would do so.
Conductor, Composer. The youngest member of the famous Strauss musical dynasty. Born in Vienna, he was the son of Johann Strauss, Sr. and brother of Johann Strauss, Jr. and Josef Strauss. From age 20 he trained as a conductor with the family's smaller satellite ensembles and in 1863 was named deputy director of the main Strauss Orchestra. He became principal conductor after Josef's death in 1870 and held that post for 30 years. Known as a martinet on the podium and a contentious man off, Eduard was nevertheless a skillful and energetic interpreter who did much to promote Viennese dance music beyond Austria's borders. Over the years he took his orchestra to 840 cities and towns throughout Europe and North America, introducing many of brother Johann's new works. He was a prolific composer himself with some 300 waltzes and other dances to his credit, but very few of them attained popularity. Perhaps his best known pieces today are the "Doctrinen Waltz" and a few examples of his specialty, the "polka-schnell" ("fast polka"). Following a series of personal and professional setbacks - among them Johann's death in 1899 and increasing competition from younger musicians - Eduard disbanded the Strauss Orchestra in February 1901 and retired. It had been a Vienna institution for three quarters of a century. Historians and aficionados are not likely to forgive him for burning the entire Strauss archive in 1906, allegedly fulfilling a pact he made with Johann that the last surviving Strauss brother would do so.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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