Johann Strauss I is firmly established as the leader of a dance orchestra in
Vienna in the 1840s. While his sons
Johann Strauss II and Josef have inherited their father's talent, he is strictly opposed to them being trained as
composers by concertmaster Amon, a good friend of his. Johann II and Josef attend the
Vienna Polytechnic under paternal pressure, but Johann junior soon drops out, causing a rift with his father. Johann Strauss junior then goes his own way and breaks off contact with his family. A few years later, he has finally made it and is celebrated as the new king of
waltz. Father Johann secretly takes pride in his highly talented son's accomplishment. But then, at the age of only 44, Johann falls seriously ill with
scarlet fever and dies, without having spoken to his son again. Meanwhile, Josef has finished his studies at the Polytechnic and works as an engineer. He still loves music and spends every free minute composing. Although his father has since died, Josef, unlike his brother Johann, does not dare to rebel against his father's wish. When Johann junior learns of his brother's emotional dilemma, he gives Josef an opportunity to prove his musical skills for the first time at a
New Year's Eve celebration. Josef's premiere is a great success, and he finally commits himself to music and abandons his engineering career. Johann is in such great demand that he asks Josef to stand in for him on another occasion. Meanwhile, the youngest of the three brothers,
Eduard Strauss, has grown up and also shows promise as a composer. However, he and Joseph are under the shadow of their much more famous brother, much to their chagrin. Eventually, it is old Amon who creates a group, called "Strauss", in which the three Strauss brothers jointly perform and inspire the masses with their waltz music. ==Cast==