Johann Strauss II was born in St. Ulrich near Vienna, the son of Johann Strauss I, another composer of dance music. His father did not wish him to become a composer, but rather a banker. Nevertheless, Strauss Junior studied the violin secretly as a child and when his father discovered his son secretly practicing the instrument one day, he gave him a severe whipping, saying that he was going to beat the music out of the boy. Fortunately, this did not discourage the budding musician. Strauss found his early years as a composer difficult, but he soon won over audiences after accepting commissions to perform away from home. When his father died from scarlet fever in Vienna in 1849, the younger Johann merged both their orchestras and engaged in further tours. By the 1850s he'd surpassed his father's fame, and was recognized as the most sought-after composer of dance music. In popular culture, the special Viennese sentiment associated with Strauss's melody has made it an unofficial Austrian national anthem,