A master of self-promotion, Johann Strauss II was well aware of how to make an impact. World-renowned French tightrope walker Charles Blondin (1824 - 1897) was a favorite spectacle in Europe in the 1860s. What could be more of a crowd pleaser than a double appearance by Blondin and the "Waltz King" himself?

For this reason, as Johann II neared the final few days of his concert season in Pavlovsk, he was instrumental in helping to arrange a guest appearance by the famous Frenchman during a concert at the Vauxhall Pavilion on September 19, 1864. He premiered a dozen new works during the season, and this occasion heralded the first performance of the Blondin Quadrille, a festive, joyous work comprising the characteristic six quadrille sections, each based upon a popular or traditional French melody. Upon its eventual publication in Vienna the work was given the title "Quadrille sur des airs français," or "Quadrille on French airs," and was humorously credited to the composer "Jean Strauss."

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