An “Artist’s Life” in waltz time: Johann Strauss II on the 200th anniversary of his birth

“He is the only one I envy – he drips with music, and is full of ideas”, said Johannes Brahms, and Richard Strauss remarked that “it is much harder to write a beautiful waltz than to compose a mediocre symphony”: Johann Strauss II brought popular music to new artistic heights. On 25 October 2025, the composer would have been 200 years old. Our playlist is a spirited tribute by the Berliner Philharmoniker to the famous “Waltz King”.