The Great Waltz is a film I happened to catch on Channel 13 at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning. It is a fun film which purports to be a biography of Johann Strauss II In it, young Strauss is unhappily working in a bank. Of course, be has no head for figures and constantly doodles waltzes on bank paper. He is fired, forms a band, falls in love with an opera singer, is jilted by her, and marries his childhood sweetheart. She drifts in and out of his life causing trouble in his marriage. He takes part in a revolution and is revered by the people of Vienna. All is held together with Strauss waltzes as glue. The opera singer’s name is Carla Donner. The best number in the movie is “I’m In Love With Vienna.” The music was composed by Johann Strauss II, the lyrics added by Oscar Hammerstein II for the film.
The real story is much different, and certainly Groves has no mention of a Carla Donner. If Johann Strauss II was ever in a bank, it was probably to count his money. Johann Strauss I was a successful waltz orchestra leader and composer. After appropriate training Johann Strauss II went out with his own orchestra playing his father’s compositions and his own. Eventually, the two orchestras were merged.
He did run afoul of the revolution of 1848, and was regarded as a revolutionary. However, this was a setback. Like his father, he had to tour everywhere, including Russia, England and even the U.S. Besides waltzes, he is famous for at least three operettas: Die Fledermaus, Der Zieguener Baron and Eine Nacht in Venedig.
As for love, Strauss was married three times. First to singer, Jetty Treffz; then to actress Angelika Dittrick, and lastly to Adele Strauss (no relation). The second marriage caused him considerable difficulties including a change of religion to get a divorce.
Marco Polo is recording all of the Strauss instrumental music, and there are 28 CDs as of the Spring 1994 Schwann Opus Catalog. If you go for it, I wish yon luck and good fortune. There is a wonderful Euro Disc Hilight Series that has Die Fledermaus, Der Zieguener Baron, Eine Nacht in Venedig and Wiener Blur. All feature Rudolf Schock, one of my favorite light Viennese tenors. As for a complete Fledermaus there is almost no way you can make a mistake. There is the famous one led by Karajan with the “Gala Sequence” in which everyone adds a bit to celebrate the reopening of the Vienna State Opera. This is on London. I have the London recording conducted by Clemens Krauss, now issued on CD as a historic performance.