Johann Strauss the elder wrote relatively few polkas, unlike his "Waltz King" son Johann II who produced a bevy of works in that dance form. This Salon-Polka was only Johann I's third polka out of an eventual 15, but it has become one of his more popular pieces. The work was well-received at its premiere at a music festival in Vienna's Volksgarten in July 1844 with the elder Strauss leading his ensemble. Scored for string orchestra, the Salon-Polka opens with a sprightly, graceful theme whose jaunty, rhythmic manner has an immediately infectious appeal, imparting a delightfully sunny, carefree sense. The second subject leaps gleefully high and maintains the cheerful spirits from the opening. The equally rhythmic middle section, consisting of a variant on the second subject, seems ready to take on a more serious—or at least a more exotic—manner, but quickly runs short of breath and yields back to the main theme. After a reprise, including secondary material, the piece merrily ends. Lasting slightly over two minutes, this polka is one of Johann Strauss I's more memorable creations.

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