Oscar Nathan Straus (6 March 1870 – 11 January 1954) was a Viennese composer of operettas and film scores and songs. He also wrote about 500 cabaret songs, chamber music, and orchestral and choral works. His original name was actually Strauss, but for professional purposes he deliberately omitted the final 's', since he wished not to be associated with the musical Strauss family of Vienna. However, he did follow the advice of Johann Strauss II in 1898 about abandoning the prospective lure of writing waltzes for the more lucrative business of writing for the theatre.He studied music in Berlin under Max Bruch, and became an orchestral conductor, working at the Überbrettl cabaret. He went back to Vienna and began writing operettas, becoming a serious rival to Franz Lehár. When Lehár's popular The Merry Widow premiered in 1905, Straus was said to have remarked "Das kann ich auch!" (I can also do that!). In 1939, following the Nazi Anschluss, he fled to Paris, where he received the honour of a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, and then to Hollywood. After the war, he returned to Europe, and settled at Bad Ischl, where he died.Straus' best-known works are Ein Walzertraum (A Waltz Dream), and The Chocolate Soldier (Der tapfere Soldat). The waltz arrangement from the former is probably his most enduring orchestral work. Among his most famous songs is the theme song from the 1950 film La Ronde.
Trois valses (Disc 1), The Chocolate Soldier (1959 studio cast), Ein Walzertraum
Movies
Magic Waltz
Star Sign
Pisces
#
Fact
1
Viennese conductor and composer of operettas, cabaret songs and occasional film music. Straus deliberately changed his surname (from "Strauss") to avoid association with the famous musical dynasty of that name. He was not related.
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Der letzte Walzer
1973
TV Movie
Merry-Go-Round
1973
Ein Walzertraum
1969
TV Movie
The Chocolate Soldier
1955
TV Movie
The Earrings of Madame de...
1953
The Last Waltz
1953
music composer: operetta 'Der letzte Walzer'
Einmal keine Sorgen haben
1953
Sonho de Valsa
1952
TV Movie
Nash Airflyte Theatre
1951
TV Series 1 episode
Musical Comedy Time
1950
TV Series 1 episode
La ronde
1950
as Oscar Strauss
Moulin Rouge
1940
De Mayerling
1940
Three Waltzes
1938
Make a Wish
1937
Forbidden Music
1936
The Last Waltz
1936
The Last Waltz
1934
from operetta "Der letzte Walzer"
Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will
1934
Runaway Queen
1934
Frühlingsstimmen
1933
Die Herren vom Maxim
1933
Une heure près de toi
1932
The Waltz Dream
1925
Varázskeringö
1918
Ein Walzertraum
1907
Short
Der lustige Ehemann
1903
Short
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Complicated Women
2003
TV Movie documentary writer: "Jazz Up Your Lingerie"
Héloïse
1991
TV Movie music: "C'est la saison d'amour"
The Muppet Show
1978
TV Series music - 1 episode
Eine Frau, die weiss, was sie will
1958
music: "Warum soll eine Frau kein Verhältmis haben"
The Earrings of Madame de...
1953
music: "Einmal im Leben ...L'amour m'emporte"
Einmal keine Sorgen haben
1953
music: "Da sing' ich ein Lied", "Einen Jux will ich mir machen"
Two Weeks with Love
1950
music: "My Hero" - uncredited
La ronde
1950
music: "Der Reigen/La Ronde de l'amour" - uncredited
The Chocolate Soldier
1941
music: "My Hero" 1909, "Thank the Lord the War Is Over" 1909, "Sympathy" 1909, "Seek the Spy" 1909, "Tiralala" 1909, "The Chocolate Soldier" 1909, "Forgive" 1909 - uncredited
Make a Wish
1937
music: "Make a Wish", "Music in My Heart", "Old Man Rip", "Birchlake Forever"
Die törichte Jungfrau
1935
music: "Ein weiches Bett", "Muss es denn muss es denn gleich die Grosse Liebe sein", "Judith-Parodie"
Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will
1934
music: "Eine Frau die weiß was sie will"
Die Herren vom Maxim
1933
music: "Oft erlebt man eine Stunde...", "Was hat mich heute in Stimmung gebracht?", "Warum heißt du grad' Laura?"
Betty Boop's Museum
1932
Short music: "Oh, That Mitzi" - uncredited
One Hour with You
1932
music: "We Will Always Be Sweetheharts", "Oh That Mitzi", "What a Little Thing Like a Wedding Can Do", "It Was Only a Dream Kiss"
The Smiling Lieutenant
1931
music: "Toujours l'Amour in the Army" 1931, "While Hearts Are Singing" 1931, "Breakfast Table Love" 1931, "One More Hour of Love" 1931, "Jazz Up Your Lingerie" 1931, "What Can They Expect of Me?" 1931
The Prodigal
1931
writer: "Life Is a Dream"
A Lady's Morals
1930
music: "It Is Destiny" 1930, "Student's Song" 1930, "I Hear Your Voice" 1930 - uncredited