Pleasure train by Johann Strauss II (tempo) - Video

Train Music

Pleasure Train by Johann Strauss II (tempo)

During the 1860s the Southern Railway in Austria ran popular 'pleasure trains', offering surprise journeys with mystery destinations. The title of this piece in the original German language is Vergnügungszug - Polka-schnell, meaning Pleasure Train - Quick Polka. The polka is a lively dance and this one was composed by the younger Johann Strauss (the elder Johann Strauss being his dad) for a grand ball, held in 1864.

I was very surprised to notice that all the musicians in the video are men! There are statistical gender differences in girls' and boys' choices of which instrument they would choose to learn but most European and USA orchestras actually employ a fairly equal balance of men and women.