Joseph Lanner Joseph Lanner

Joseph Lanner (12 April 1801 – 14 April 1843) was an Austrian dance music composer. He is best remembered as one of the earliest Viennese composers to reform the waltz from a simple peasant dance to something that even the highest society could enjoy, either as an accompaniment to the dance, or for the music's own sake. He was just as famous as his friend and musical rival Johann Strauss I, who was better known outside of Austria in their day because of his concert tours abroad, in particular, to France and England.

Lanner had a lesser-known son, August Lanner, who was just as musically gifted and prodigious as his father. His daughter Katharina became a well known international ballet dancer, settling in London where she became an influential choreographer and teacher.

Compositions

Among Lanner's more popular works are the "Pesther-Walzer", Op. 93, "Hofballtänze Walzer", Op. 161, "Die Werber" Waltz, Op. 103, "Die Romantiker" Waltz, Op. 167, and probably his most well-known work, "Die Schönbrunner" Walzer, Op. 200, probably the most famous of all waltzes before "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II in the mid-1860s. Most of Lanner's waltzes were dedicated to members of the nobility as evidenced from the titles which was part of the nature of Lanner's position at that time. His "Styrian Dances" (Steyrische-Tänze), Op. 165, was also played occasionally at the Vienna New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Works

• Neue Wiener, Ländler (New Viennese), Op. 1
• Trennungs-Walzer, waltz (Separation), Op. 19
• Amoretten, waltz, Op. 53
• Die Humoristiker, waltz (The Humorists), Op. 92
• Pesther-Walzer, Op. 93
• Abschied von Pest, waltz (Farewell from Pest), Op. 95
• Die Werber, Op. 103
• Marien-Walzer, (Maria Waltz), Op. 143
• Hofballtänze, waltz (Royal Court Dances), Op.161
• Steyrische Tänze (Styrian Dances), Op. 165
• Die Romantiker, waltz (The Romantics), Op.167
• Hans-Jörgel, polka, Op. 194
• Die Mozartisten, waltz, Op. 196 (based on themes from the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart )
• Die Schönbrunner, waltz, Op. 200