Johann Strauss II wrote the waltz “The Blue Danube,” traditionally played at Vienna's New Year's Concert.
The work's full German title is An der schönen blauen Donau, meaning “On the Beautiful Blue Danube.” Johann Strauss II composed it in 1866, and it was first performed publicly in 1867. Although the piece initially had a mixed reception in Vienna, it later became one of the most recognizable works in the waltz repertory.
The Blue Danube is not the Austrian national anthem, a common mix-up caused by its strong association with Austria. At the Vienna New Year's Concert, it is usually performed near the end, after the official program, and the audience traditionally applauds along with the opening bars. The Radetzky March normally follows as the final encore.