“STRAUSS SECRETS” – By Des Kelly
Everyone knows the NAME. Johann Strauss, the “Waltz-King”, as I would like to call him. A composer of some of the very best light-classical music, especially his Waltzes, known and loved around our Planet. However, there were certain “items” about all of these great men of music, of yesteryear that were not generally known by their adoring public. I hope that this will make some interesting reading for all my eLanka readers, everywhere.
On the 5th of April, 1874, a very very long time ago, the most sparkling & inspired of all operettas, Die Fledermaus was said to have been written by Johann Strauss in only forty two days (yes folks, this is but a brief period in which to write an operetta. I suppose a complete Opera would take the best of six months, if not longer), and performed, for the first time in the City of Music, as I call it, Vienna.
“Jealousy in music” was prevalent, it seems, even as far back as 1874, (so what’s new)?, and a persistent rumour began that Johann had ransacked his dead brother Josef’s “estate” and had paid Josef’s widow a considerable amount of money to claim the music of the operetta as his own.
Eduard Strauss, another brother, joined in the general gossip, speaking openly about Johann’s misdeed.
Four years before the Fledermaus premiere, Josef Strauss, composer, himself, of such “Waltz-gems” as
Spharenklange, Dynamiden, & Mein Lebenslaus, had collapsed while conducting a concert in Warsaw, and died a few weeks later, in Vienna, at the young age of forty three.
Johann, it was supposed, went immediately to Warsaw to deputize for brother Josef, in his Concerts, collected the payments, on Josef’s behalf and took the money straight to Josef’s wife. and as executor of Josef’s will, was permitted to open his brother’s desk, but found no manuscripts or sketches, only Josef’s old and generally well-known Compositions.
The facts sounded highly circumstantial. The much publicised rapidity with which (contrary to Johann’s regular working method), the Fledermaus Score was completed, the dead man’s empty desk, the suspicious, incontestable payment of a considerable payment by Johann to Josef’s widow, and finally, brother Eduard’s persistant attitude.
Johan Strauss’ situation, at the time, was rather precarious. Already a figure of World renown, one of the most successful Composers of his time, her he was, accused of stealing his own brother’s original composition and passing it off, as his own. Should he do something, defend himself, crush his detractors ?, no, he kept silent, refused to make any statements to ward off the attack.
He, Johann Strauss, knew that for anyone who was willing to listen, he had the only possible, strongest, unshakeable proof of of his authorship, each single bar of the Fledermaus score.
I believe that this man had no need, whatsoever of copying anyone’s music. Those who take the time to listen to the “Strauss Medley” clip, I have included will KNOW that Johann Strauss “The Waltz King” did indeed compose this
Fledermaus operetta, I can guarantee that, whether he called it “Fledermaus” or even “Fledermouse”, as pronounced, the “Rats” who accused him were all wrong.
Yes, folks, there is a lot of jealousy in this game, even today.
Desmond Kelly
Star of eLanka
(Editor-in-Chief).
