Johann Strauss was born in Vienna in 1825. His father, a well-known musician, was a strange and (36)______ man. He did not want

Johann Strauss was born in Vienna in 1825. His father, a well-known musician, was a strange and moody man. He did not want any of his children to be musicians. He whipped young Johann because the boy insisted he wanted to study music. At last, Johann left his family permanently. He grieved over leaving the family because the wonderful music he always had with him at home was gone forever. The only good thing about the family separation, it seemed, was that young Johann would be free to study music.
    The dance called the waltz developed from a peasant dance in three-quarter time. The waltz became popular in Vienna, so it was only natural that Johann would be attracted to it.
    The orchestra Johann’s father had directed was prepared to disband when the elder Strauss suddenly died. Young Johann offered to take his father’s place. Most of the musicians questioned that a young man would expect to fill the shoes of a famous father. They did not take into consideration that the son already had an orchestra of his own which was becoming well-known. Finally, one of the members persuaded the others to let the two orchestras be combined. Their first performance was a memorial concert played in his father’s honor.
    Soon Vienna was paying tributes to the son. He wrote such famous waltzes as Tales from the Vienna Woods and The Beautiful Blue Damube, and his music is still played today. His waltzes are as beautiful and timely as when Strauss first wrote them.