I've asked this once ...

[french frank]

... and (unless I missed it) I received no reply.

Is there any reliable (I stress that) source confirming that Johann Strauss II (or I) was baptised Johann Sebastian?

I've found several internet sources which state this, but Grove has Johann (Baptist), as does Wikipedia. Is Radio 3 reliable here?

[Pianorak]

For what it's worth: Johann Baptist Strauß Sohn wurde als erstes von insgesamt sechs Kindern am 25.10.1825 im Wiener Vorort St. Ulrich geboren.
No mention of Sebastian. His grandfather was baptised Franz and his father Johann Baptist.

http://www.music-vienna.at/de/philharmonische-wiener-strauss-solisten/johann-strau-sohn

[mercia]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006310/bio

I'm not suggesting that's a reliable source

http://en.rodovid.org/wk/Person:54181

http://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Strauss-II-Johann-Sebastian-Johann-Strauss-Jr-A-Strauss-Celebration-Chandos-Audio-CD/934690

http://shop.trinitycollege.com/shop/prod/Strauss-II-Johann-Sebastian-Johann-Strauss-Jr-Song-Album-volume-two-high-voice/2039571

or those either

I guess he'd have to be distinguished from Johann Wilhelm

http://en.rodovid.org/wk/Person:893284

[Pabmusic]

I have two books. Peter Kemp says (The Strauss Family, Omnibus Press, 1985) he was baptised Johann Baptist "after his father". Franz Mailer (Jodef Strauss, Genie wider Willen, J & V, 1977) says "Er werde auf den Namen Johann Baptist, wie sein vater".

[mercia]

i suppose if both I and II are Baptist, as wiki suggests, some further distinction is needed (?)

[Pabmusic]

i suppose if both I and II are Baptist, as wiki suggests, some further distinction is needed (?)

Surely Johann II or Johann Sohn is enough?

[mercia]

Surely Johann II or Johann Sohn is enough?

true (and there was a Johann III too)

[french frank]

i suppose if both I and II are Baptist, as wiki suggests, some further distinction is needed (?)

Father and Son? I think I found the sources you did, mercia, which made me stop chortling and wonder ... Though I would tend to doubt a statement like: "He was born Johann Sebastian Strauss ..." Already tattooed on his forehead, perhaps.

My hunch is that this is a mistake perpetuated (as frequently happens) by the internet, and that someone at Radio 3 followed it. I don't remember that the playlists normally have that; he's usually, correctly, identified as Johann Strauss II as in:

[Pabmusic]

true (and there was a Johann III too)

So there was. He made some recordings, too. I think he was a nephew (a son of Eduard).

[subcontrabass]

My hunch is that this is a mistake perpetuated (as frequently happens) by the internet, and that someone at Radio 3 followed it.

Grove Music Online, which one hopes is a more reliable source, gives Johann Baptist Strauss as the full name of Johann II.

[french frank]

Grove Music Online, which one hopes is a more reliable source, gives Johann Baptist Strauss as the full name of Johann II.

What seems to be the case is that there are various reasons why Radio 3's information (online at least) has become unreliable (I can think of three) and they all need to be investigated.

[mercia]

oops

when computers finally completely take over I'm looking forward to the 'wrong' Engelbert Humperdinck being played on Radio 3
(someone will say there isn't a wrong one anymore for R3)

[french frank]

when computers finally completely take over I'm looking forward to the 'wrong' Engelbert Humperdinck being played on Radio 3

With an online picture of an obscure German opera composer.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... and as for the possibilties with the Franck Sonata ...

[Roslynmuse]

IIRC, it's not so long since Ligeti's Volumina was billed as being performed by Freddie Mercury...