Johann Baptist Strauss II, born October 25, 1825, in Vienna, Austria, died June
3, 1899, in Vienna, Austria, was an Austrian composer and violinist. Known as
"The Waltz King", Strauss studied counterpoint and harmony under Joseph
Drechsler before making his debut as a conductor and composer at Dommayer's
Casino in 1844. Strauss composed over 500 dance pieces, including waltzes such
as “An der schönen blauen Donau” (“The Blue Danube”), Op. 314, in 1867,
“G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald”, Op. 325, in 1868, and “Kaiser-Walzer”, Op.
437, in 1888, alongside operettas including Die Fled...