DJ Johann

I'm currently teaching the History of the Waltz at City Lit. It's a speedy five-week course that began by looking at the waltz's predecessors – the minuet and the Ländler – the dance's status as a rather louche, amorous pastime and, of course, some of its greatest exponents. Last week, when preparing for a lesson on the first Johann Strauss, I read that during Fasching (the Viennese carnival season) of 1848, Strauss conducted at 125 balls and composed eight new pieces for the season. The previous week on Facebook, I read that a good friend who's an international DJ known as Midland, had been making his way across Britain to perform a number of sets in one evening, spread over hundreds of miles. The music may have changed, but the demand for choons [sic] stays the same.

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