The Strauss family's private life contains more material than a fiction writer could possibly conjure up in a lifetime. This is the story of a father, Johann Strauss, whose shotgun marriage produced five children, the first being young Johann.

Johann was to become even more famous than his father, despite his father forbidding him to study music and sabotaging his debut. It is also the story of the other Strauss family members, the ambitious mother and a string of mistresses.

The other sons, Eduard and Josef also gained musical success and the daughters Annele and Therese never married. This is a story of passion, music, revolution and the lives and loves to two generations.