Eduard Strauss, the younger brother of Johann Strauss II, was born in
Vienna on March 15, 1835. He studied music in Vienna with G. Preyer
following which he made his café-house debut in 1862 by conducting his
father’s orchestra at the Dianasaal. He continued to lead his father’s
orchestra at the Volksgarten and Musikverein as well as at various
leading café-houses in Vienna. He also made many tours, including two of
the United States in 1892 and 1901. In 1902 he dissolved the musical
organization which his father had founded three-quarters of a century
earlier and which all that time had dominated the musical life of
Vienna. Besides conducting this orchestra, he also substituted from time
to time for his famous brother, Johann Strauss II, and in 1870 he
succeeded him as conductor of the court balls. Eduard Strauss died in
Vienna on December 28, 1916.
Eduard wrote over three hundred popular instrumental compositions in the
style of his celebrated brother but without ever equalling his
remarkable creative freshness and originality. But there is a good deal
of pleasurable listening in Eduard’s waltzes and polkas. In the former
category belongs the _Doctrinen_ (_Faith_) Waltzes, op. 79; in the
latter, the gay _Bahn Frei_ (_Fast Track_) Polka, op. 45. In
collaboration with his two brothers, Johann and Josef, Eduard wrote the
_Trifolienwalzer_ and the _Schuetzenquadrille_.