Josef Strauss

Moulinet Polka

Naturally, because of his technical background, when Josef Strauss in 1858 sketched out a polka with the title 'Moulinet' ('Little Mill'), it was to become more than just another piece of dance music. The motif of the mill wheel with its unerringly regular motion had often before been tackled in music thus a straight forward dance tune would not suffice if the familiar image of mill and wheel was to be evoked once again. So, Josef Strauss wrote a beautiful character piece in the rhythm of a polka. The first performance of the 'Moulinet Polka' took place on 25 July 1858 in Unger's Casino in Hernals and a few days later it was played by the orchestra of his brother Johann at concerts in the Schloss Schönbrunn for guests of Archduchess Sophie, mother of the Emperor Franz Joseph I. Tempestuous applause came from the clients at Unger's establishment in the suburbs and from the members of court society. This was noted in the newspapers of the imperial city and so the 'Moulinet Polka' became one of Josef Strauss most famous compositions.