Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/716

STRAUSS. 618 STRAWBERRY. Vienna, son of the preceding. His father was averse to his adopting the profession of music, but, aided by his motlier, he was enabled to secure instruction on the violin and in composi- tion, and at nineteen years of age severed his home connections and secured an engagement as conductor of an orchestra at a popular restau- rant in Ilictzing. He used the opportunity to play his own waltz compositions and soon became widely popular. After his father's death he united both orchestras and began a concert tour through many European countries. From 1855 to 1805 he was the conductor of the Petropaul- ovski Park summer concerts in Saint Peters- burg, and from 1863 to 1870 was also conductor of the Court balls. He composed nearly 500 dance pieces, which for the most part possess the highest merit. Among the best knowai may be mentioned: The Beautiful Blue Danube; Roses from the South; Artist's Life; Vienna Blood; The One Thousand and One Nights; Wine, Women, and Song. His operettas were entitled as follows: Indigo (1871) ; Der Carneval in Rom (1873); Die Fledermaus (1874); C'agliostro (1875) ; Priii^ Methusalem (1877) ; Dei- lustige Krieg (1881); Eine Nacht in Venedig (1883) Der ZigeunerbaroH (1885); Simplicitis (1887) Ritter Pasman (1892) ; Furstin Nitietta (1893) Jabuka, oder das Apfelfest (1894) ; Waldmeister (1895) ; Die Gottin der Vernunft (1897) ; and a ballet Aschenbrodel. For his biography consult Eisenherg (Leipzig, 1894) and Prochazka (Ber- lin, 1900). His brothers, Joseph (1827-70), who became leader of the Vienna orchestra in 1863, and Edu- ARD (1835 — ), who assumed its direction in 1870, both did creditable work as musical con- ductors and composers of dance music. STRAUSS, RiCH.KD (1864—). A German composer, the most ingenious disciple of the so-called school of Weimar. Born in Munich, he mastered the technics of the violin and piano when quite young, and in 1875-80 studied theory and composition with kapellmeister Wilhelm Mayer. In October, 1885, Strauss became mu- sical director at Meiningcn. In 1886-89 he was kapellmeister at Munich and was then called to Weimar. His radical tendencies were soon rec- ognized, and his espousal of extremely modern music caused his conducting of Wagner to be- come of notable interest. On his return from a trip to Greece, Egypt, and Sicily, his music drama Ountram, opus 25, dedicated to his pa- rents, was produced at Weimar, in 1894. Strauss returned to Munich as Court kapell- meister in 1895. and in the same capacity went to Berlin in 1898. He wrote Italia, a symphonic fantasia, in 1886. It is fresh, vigorous, and characteristic in themes and coloring. Then fol- lowed a series of daring orchestral compositions. The chronology of the greater symphonic works is as follows:' Don /«a»( 1888) ; 'llacbeth ( 1887) ; Death and Apotheosis (1889); Till Eulenspiegel (1895); Thus Spake Zarathustra (1895): Don Quixote (1897); A Hero's Life (1898). His later works include, besides numerous songs and choruses, an opera. Feners^not (1901): a tone poem entitled Sinfonia domestica ; and Taillefer, a choral work with orchestra, based on a poem by Uhland. Strauss's earlier productions tell no tale of genius ; the mark of the file is upon thenl. But from his twentieth opus his originality shows itself. He invented the tone poem, in which the line of design is as sternly unwaver- ing as the sj'mphony, and the possibilities for expression almost illimitable. The Strauss themes condition their treatment, and if his har- monic scheme sometimes seems ugly, his melodic curve daring, and his orchestration polyodic, it must be remembered that the same criticisms were made of Richard Wagner's music. The developing sections in his tone poems are remarkable. Perhaps, following the trend of the Lied writers since Schumann in his songs, the voice is woven too closely in the dense fabric of harmony, yet many effects of pure, rhythmetic, and sensuous beauty are discovered. Here Strauss has often dared to be simple in senti- ment. Such a song as the Serenade is heard with delight by audiences that do not realize the complexity of a scheme expressing itself so naively. It is the epical Strauss that appeals especially to the imaginative. Consult: Fuller-Maitland, Masters of German Music, v:ith Illustrations (London, 1894) ; Hune- ker. Mezzotints in Modern Music (New York, 1899) ; the monographs by Seidl and Klatte (Prague, 1896), and Breelier (Leipzig, 1900); and The Musical Times, vol. xliv.. No. 719 (London, 1903). STRAW BAIL. In old English law, the names of two or more fictitious persons entered on the rccoriLs of a court as sureties for the appearance of a defendant in a civil action. In early times a defendant was first served with a summons, and if he did not appear he was con- sidered to be guilty of contempt of court, for which the sheriff arrested him under a capias, and he was obliged to give bail for his appearance. Gradually, through the change of practice in serving only one process and the indulgence of the courts, this became a mere formality, and the fictitious names of 'John Doe' and 'Richard Roe' were entered as sureties. This was known as common or straip bail. This practice no longer prevails, but the name is retained to de- note a financially irresponsible surety on a bail bond. See Bail. STRAWBERRY (AS. streawberie, streaw- bcrige, strawberry; perhaps so called either be- cause the long stems resemble straws, or because of an old custom of stringing the berries on straws). Certain perennial herbs of the natural order Rosacese, widely distributed mostly in tem- perate regions throughout the world. The culti- vated forms are all derived by the hybridization and crossing of throe principal species. Fragaria vesca, Fragaria Virginiana, and Fragaria Chi- loi'nsis, particularly the last named. The plants are low growing, have trifoliate leaves, white (lowers either pistillate or polygamous, and nume- rous aclienes on usually red. sometimes yellowish- white tlcshy rece|itacles which constitute the edible part. The plants are hardy and ma,v be grown in almost any region in America from Florida to Alaska. The varieties grown almost universally in America have a short season of fruitfulness, but several of the European varie- ties bear more or less continuously throughout the summer and early autumn. Since yoiuig plants are most productive, the strawberry plantations are usually allowed to fruit only once, sometimes twice. The ' plants obtained from rooted runners are set in the field