Like his father Johann and "waltz king" brother Johann II, the introverted Josef Strauss mostly wrote light music in the dance genre, including, of course, waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and many others. Yet his light music had somewhat greater expressive depth than that of his other family members, as this modest, mostly subdued polka/mazurka demonstrates. While on the surface it is jaunty and carefree in its demure gracefulness, it has a nostalgic quality about its character as if its restrained joy is somehow dutiful, not sincere. The music never bubbles or effervesces with the kind of ebullience heard in many of his better-known brother's scores. Frauenherz is masterfully constructed, with subtle themes—the kind that wear well—and deftly conceived instrumentation. The piece opens with a catchy, sort of carefree theme that unhurriedly mopes along. It flowers in a jaunty variant that follows. The opening material briefly returns before the playful, more colorful music in the middle section appears to offer finely imagined contrast. The main thematic material returns to close out this work in a subdued and gentle mood. This masterwork typically has a duration of five minutes.

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