Eduard Strauss, the third son of Johann Strauss the Elder, was born on March 15, 1835, in Vienna. Originally, Eduard looked for employment in the diplomatic service, but he also studied music theory. He became a harpist in the Strauss orchestra in 1855. In 1862, he joined his two famous brothers Johann Jr. and Josef as a conductor of the family orchestra. Like that of his two brothers, his musical output was prolific: he wrote over 320 separate dances and marches. Apart from the exuberant Bahn Frei (Track Clear), which he wrote in 1869, and a handful of other fast polkas (he excelled in this particular dance form), his music is not as well known as that of his brothers.
