Johann Strauss II was the son of Johann Strauss Senior, and like his father, was an Austrian composer of hugely popular waltzes, polkas and quadrilles, as well as several operettas. During his career, he was known as “The Waltz Kingâ€, and gave his famous father a run for his money, leaving us such contemporary standards as “The Blue Danube†and “Tales from the Vienna Woodsâ€, as well as the popular operetta, “Die Fledermausâ€. Father and son sparred over the years, but when the Elder died, the Younger combined their orchestras and embarked upon many successful tours, including to the United States. Young Strauss also managed to outlive his father by almost thirty years.
