Strauss Family

Of all history's great musical clans (the Osmonds, the Partridge Family, etc.), one of the most illustrious had its roots in 19th-century Austria and bore the name Strauss. Without them, there would be no definitive Viennese Waltz. These Essentials map out a family tree in music: start with Johann Jr.'s masterwork, "The Blue Danube."

History marks down Johann II as the most gifted of the Strauss clan, and it is he who bears the moniker "the Waltz King." His two brothers, Eduard (affectionately known as "Edi") and Josef ("Pepi") fell under the shadow of works like those in our Strauss Family Next Steps: for example, "Acceleration Waltz" and "Vienna Bon Bons."

At the head of the dynasty sat Johann Strauss I (father), the son of an innkeeper, raised on the banks of the Danube, where a constant flux of visitors fueled his love for popular dance music. Although eclipsed by Johann II, the head of the family was instrumental in the evolution of the waltz and gave us gems like the "Hof-Ball-Tanze."

It's impossible to think of Austrian music without straightaway name-checking the all-composing, all-dancing Strauss Family: masters of the waltz and the polka. Johann I laid down the template, and performed his works with a touring orchestra well known for its virtuosity and precision. Eldest son Johann II picked up the baton and carried it to great eminence, while brother Josef took his family's music in a more romantic direction, and Eduard (the youngest) honed his skills as a conductor to a state of noted excellence. What a family.