It can be tempting today to think of music in terms of "classical" versus "popular" styles, with the primary distinction being that classical music is old, or that it at least professes a connection to composers long since departed. Of course, contemporary "classical" composers defy such a superficial analysis with their new music. At the same time, it can perhaps be enlightening to realize that the "old" Nineteenth Century featured "popular" idioms that set themselves apart from the more self-consciously serious music of the day. Mid-century Vienna found itself swept away by dance styles, including the polka, quadrille, and waltz. Often consisting of little more than an engaging melody and a perfunctory accompaniment, these short musical numbers could be performed, according to the circumstances, by small collections of instruments, rather than requiring a full symphony orchestra. Composers of such dances gained fame by touring with performing ensembles, which they conducted themselves.
Although he composed more than 150 waltzes and acquired the nickname "The Waltz King," Johann Strauss, Jr. was more than a mere dance composer. He also wrote full-scale operettas, the most famous of which is Die Fledermaus (The Bat). Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) is replete with the stock devices that were characteristic of light opera, including mistaken identity, divisions between social classes, and the innocent yet fickle nature of young love. What enables Strauss's work to stand above most other operetta of the time is the enduring vitality of his music. The overture establishes a "gypsy" mood and lays the groundwork for several thematic ideas – but, as always with the composer, the waltzes and other dances steal the show.