2025200th Birthday of Johann Strauss - Set

The music of the "king of waltz " Johann Strauss is an important part of Austria's cultural heritage and remains popular to this day.

Johann Strauss was born in 1825 in the suburbs of Vienna as the eldest son of the com- poser and conductor Johann Strauss Sr. Against his father's wishes - who later saw him as a serious competitor - he also became a musician. In 1844, he made his debut as the con- ductor of his own orchestra, where he also introduced his own compositions. Successful concert tours took him as far as North America and Russia, and in 1863 he was appointed Imperial-Royal Court Ball Music Director. Johann Strauss passed away in Vienna in 1899. His music defined an entire era. His waltzes, polkas, and operettas—most notably The Bat and The Gypsy Baron—remain beloved to this day. The waltz The Blue Danube from 1867 is considered an unofficial anthem of Austria and is a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic's an- nual New Year's Concert. The stamp features the statue of the Johann Strauss Monument in Vienna's Stadtpark. A postcard booklet is also dedicated to the "king of waltz".