"Peasants". In 1853 Josef Strauss took up work as Kapellmeister and composer, but only with some reservations. He had still not finally decided to give up the profession for which he had trained, that of engineer and builder, to make himself available for the family’s waltz business. In 1854 he stayed in the country around Vienna for some time in Order to recover from the headaches which had set in when he was still in his childhood. The “Peasants’ Polka” mazur probably came into being during this period. In any event, publication by Haslinger did not happen until, in the summer of 1855, Josef Strauss was finally prepared to lead the Strauss Orchestra on an equal footing with his brother Johann. The first nine compositions by the Interim Kapellmeister (Josef Strauss’ own term) had been secured by the ambitious Spina publishing house. Now Carl Haslinger became the publisher of both Johann and Josef Strauss. On 23 March 1856 the “Theaterzeitung” announced that the waltz “Quickened Pulses”, Op. 175, and the “Poor Ball Polka”, Op. 176 by Johann Strauss would be published by the Imperial Court Music Dealer Carl Haslinger. On 15 April the “Peasants’ Polka” mazur and a number of other compositions by Josef Strauss would follow. On 20 April the “Wiener Zeitung” carried the notice of the first edition of “Peasants’ Polka” mazur, Op. 10.

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Painting: Rosenzeit (Time of Roses)
Artist: Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
Date: 1864

Budapest Strauss Symphony Orchestra
Alfred Walter