About the composer(s): The Strauss family dynasty defined the sound of 19th-century Viennese light music, transforming the waltz from a rustic dance to the glittering soundtrack of an empire. The founding father, Johann Strauss I (1804-1849), rose from tavern musician to celebrated composer and conductor, famous for his Radetzky March . Yet, a fierce rivalry defined the era: his sons, defying his wishes for bourgeois careers, formed their own orchestra. The eldest, Johann Strauss II...

About the composer: Émile Waldteufel (1837-1915) , often anglicized as Edwin , was a French composer renowned as the "waltz king of Paris" during the Second Empire and Belle Époque. Born into a musical family in Strasbourg, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and later became court pianist to Empress Eugénie. His primary role, however, was conducting orchestras for the glittering state balls at the Tuileries Palace. It was at one such event in 1874 that the Prince of Wales (future Edward...

About the composer: Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was an English composer, most renowned for his monumental orchestral suite, The Planets . Born into a musical family, he studied at the Royal College of Music, where a lifelong friendship with fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams began. Plagued by neuritis in his right hand, he turned from a career as a pianist to focus on composition and teaching, holding influential posts at St. Paul's Girls' School and Morley College. While The Planets ...