But Strauss was an ambitious man, and after this companionship had lasted six years (1819-1825) he made his "declaration of independence" of Lanner and conducted an orchestra of his own, which soon became "all the rage" in Vienna. His son has sketched this important episode so eloquently that I cannot do better than translate his words: "The public now learned to know him as an independent conductor, and as such he soon became so popular that the dance-loving Viennese were divided into two parties--the _Lannerianer_ and the _Straussianer_--each of which championed its idol with ardor. It redounds to the credit of the good old times that this partisanship could not cloud the personal relations between Lanner and Strauss, who continued to remain good friends. Their professional separation at this time was brought about by another circumstance: my father accidentally discovered his talent for composition. Composing was obviously at that time an easier matter than it is to-day. To produce a polka, contemporary musicians study the whole literature of music and perhaps a few philosophical systems too. Formerly, only one thing was needed to compose: One had to have a happy thought, as the popular saying is (_es musste Einem was einfallen_). And strange to say, these happy thoughts always came. Self-confidence in this respect was so great that we of the old school (_wir Alten_) frequently announced for a certain evening a new waltz of which on the morning of the same day not a single note was written. In such a case the orchestra usually went to the composer's house, and as soon as the latter had finished a part it was immediately copied for the orchestra. Meantime, the miracle of the 'happy thought' repeated itself for the other parts of the waltz; in a few hours the piece was completed, whereupon it was rehearsed, and in the evening it was played before a usually enthusiastic public.