THE WALTZ.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 96, 12 August 1895, Page 2

THE WALTZ.

The original source of the waltz is Vienna, and the first composers wprs Josesph Lonner ana the elder Strauss, as appears from gn article in Eevue Moderpe. Strauss, the younger, was at the height of his fame when he brought out “ The Blue Danuabe.” This piece was first sung by the Viennese Male Choir in 1867, but with small success- A short time after Strauss vestured to slip it in the form of a waltz, into a programme at Paris, and it created & furore, whic|i had a formicfable echo at yienna. Ip a very few mouths the publisher made a fabulous sum out of fho profits of this single piece, while the composer had to content himself with thp insignificant amount for whic|i he parted with his work. Now his fee for a single waltz is said to be not less than 5000 florins. Strauss cannot write to order. He never works when disinclined, and weeks, and even months, pass without his taking his pen into his hand, In these hours of idleness he will draw, garden, or play at billiards. Suddenly Be will turn'to work again, and continpa with a perfect fever. He makes notes of his ideas as they occur to him. He will leave the table or a game to write down a thought, and ofteu in a strange house he will make a pencil note on his cpff of a motive, which the samp evening perhaps will be made the theme of a favourite waltz.