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The musical scale of the waltz. Encyclopedia of Dance: Waltz

The musical scale of the waltz. Encyclopedia of Dance: Waltz

27.06.2019

Waltz is one of the most famous and widespread dances on the planet. For all its simplicity, the movements used in it are incredibly elegant. This dance literally sparkles with romance and mutual attraction. Probably, it is these qualities that help him to remain among the most popular dances of all time.

There is no consensus on where, how and when the waltz appeared. Nobody just knows. The only thing that can be said more or less accurately is that the waltz is relatively young. Its age is estimated at about two centuries. The name of the dance, as is commonly believed, comes from the word "walzer" (German) - "to rotate, spin."

As is commonly believed, the progenitors of the waltz were the folk dances of several countries - the Czech Republic, England, France. This happened, according to, for example, L.D. Auerbach, somewhere in the 70s of the 18th century. But this information, as mentioned above, is often disputed and is not the only existing opinion about the origin of the waltz.

The waltz entered the list of ballroom dances at the court only in 1816, having previously undergone a large number of changes. And it became a full-fledged ballroom dance even later - towards the end of the 19th century. The clergy initially did not accept this dance, branding it as "sinful" and "lecherous". However, unlike the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie happily accepted the new dance, and instead of spreading in the so-called "high society", the waltz began to gain acceptance among the bourgeoisie.

There are several types of waltz:

viennese waltz
Boston Waltz (English Waltz)
Tango waltz
figured waltz

As a genre of instrumental works, the waltz has also been and remains very popular. Many of the beloved and famous composers often turned to him, among them - Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Lanner, Glinka, etc. It was they who greatly contributed to the development and spread of this dance.

For quite a long time, the waltz has been the main dance of all celebrations - graduations, weddings, etc. Having begun to walk around the planet somewhere towards the end of the 18th century, the waltz did not stop its movement for a second and still does not stop.

Option 2

For a long time, a person has been able to reveal his feelings, show the state of the inner world thanks to the movements that make up any dance.

One of the most recognizable and preferred is the waltz. The word itself evokes tender or solemn sensations associated with the grace of the partners' movements, the melodiousness of the music, and the romantic mood. Its name causes a slight dizziness associated with rotation in a circle. This is what the German word "walzen" means.

The history of this dance is connected with the combination of elements of perky dances that existed in the Czech Republic, England and France in the 18th century. After characteristic changes, they merged into a single, more elegant, measured, but at the same time impetuous waltz.

At present, the concept of waltz is associated not only with slow movement in a circle, with a power step, but also with rhythmic, rapid movements. That is why it is customary to distinguish several types of waltz, each of which has its own characteristics.

From about the middle of the 20th century, the waltz began to include some figures that did not cause difficulties when performed. They alternated while moving slowly around the hall. The figured look attracts with simplicity of execution, periodic change of positions, but incessant whirling.

The intensity of passions between partners is reflected during the performance of the tango waltz. He conveys the story of one of the manifestations of human love - passionate, which bewitches with every sharp movement, as if it burns.

The Viennese waltz is distinguished by its development in movements. At the same time, it does not lose lightness, creating a feeling of flight.

The slow waltz looks the most serious and restrained. This dance is usually most accurately performed by experienced partners. It requires endurance, a sense of tact, a considerable amount of training. From the side of the girl, feminine charm should be felt, from the man - endurance and discipline.

A common feature that unites different types of waltz is a two-beat turn, each of which has three steps.

Currently, the waltz deserves special attention, as it is an obligatory participant in various dance shows, concert programs, an exciting, healthy activity in your free time. Both children and older generations treat it with respect, trying to more accurately reflect its essence, which is expressed in less complex details and a special account.

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th grade in music.

French valse, from him. Walzer, from walzen - twist your legs in a dance, spin; English waltz, ital. valzero

Pair dance based on smooth whirling combined with forward movement; one of the most common everyday musical genres, firmly established in the professional music of European countries. The musical size is triple (3/4, 3/8, 6/8). The pace is moderately fast.

The name "waltz" appeared in the 70s. 18th century as a designation for the folk peasant dance of some regions of southern Germany and Austria (the same as the Lendler, or "German dance").

With the penetration into the city (primarily Vienna), dance movements and waltz music become smoother, the tempo becomes faster, a bright accent is determined on the first beat of the measure, the rhythmic formula

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the waltz has been the most popular dance in all sectors of European society. The development of the waltz was especially intensive in Vienna. The heyday of the Viennese waltz is associated with the work of J. Lanner, J. Strauss the father, and later his sons Joseph and especially Johann, nicknamed the "king of the waltz". I. Strauss-son developed the favorite waltz form of his father and Lanner, which usually consisted of 5 waltzes. ("Walzerkette" - "chain of waltzes") with an introduction and coda, enriched the waltz from the side of rhythm, harmony, instrumentation. Waltzes by I. Strauss are characterized by a slight shortening of the first beat during performance, a gradual acceleration of the tempo during the transition from the introduction to the waltz itself. His waltzes are most famous: "The Beautiful Blue Danube", "Tales of the Vienna Woods", "Spring Voices". In addition to the Viennese waltz, various versions of the French waltz were distributed, consisting of three parts of different tempos and in not only 3/4, but also 3/8, 6/8. Waltzes by the French composer E. Waldteuffel are widely popular. In the 20th century, a new type of waltz appeared - the Boston waltz, which came to Europe from North America in the 1920s. (also called the English waltz, slow waltz, see Boston).

The early waltz, which differed little from the Landler, or "German dance", found its embodiment in the music of the Viennese classics (J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. Beethoven). F. Schubert, who improvised his waltzes during dances, gave the first samples of the poeticization of the genre, often turning waltzes into a lyrical miniature. The form of Schubert waltzes - simple two-part or (more rarely) three-part - is typical of early waltzes. Such waltzes were often combined into series, suites. Schubert's waltz traditions were continued by R. Schumann ("Butterflies" and "Carnival" for piano) and J. Brahms (16 waltzes for piano in 4 or 2 hands, op. 39, "Waltzes of Love" and "New Waltzes of Love" for vocal quartet, as well as for piano four hands).

The tendency to turn the waltz into a major concert instrumental work, already noticeable in the waltzes of I. N. Hummel ("Dances for the Apollo Hall" for piano - with trio, reprise and coda, op. 31, 1808), first finds full expression in the "Invitation to dance" by K. M. Weber (1819). Overcoming the suite, Weber based on the waltz creates a detailed play with an introduction and coda, imbued with a single poetic idea. This trend was also reflected in the Viennese waltzes by I. Strauss-son. Waltzes by F. Chopin, F. Liszt approach the poetic genres of romantic music, combining lyrical and poetic expressiveness with elegance and brilliance, sometimes virtuosity.

Waltz permeates many types of instrumental and vocal music. In the symphony, he sometimes takes the place of the minuet ("Fantastic Symphony" by Berlioz, Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony). In the opera, in addition to mass dance scenes ("Faust", "Eugene Onegin"), the waltz is used as the basis for solo vocal episodes ("Romeo and Juliet" by Gounod, "La Traviata" by Verdi, "La Boheme" by Puccini, etc.). The waltz is widely used in ballets (L. Delibes, P. I. Tchaikovsky), in operetta, especially Viennese (J. Strauss-son), and later in film music.

The characteristic features of the waltz - lyricism, grace, plasticity, combined with a typical rhythmic formula are found in many themes of the works of composers of the 19th century (F. Chopin, I. Brahms, G. Verdi, P. I. Tchaikovsky, etc.). Such themes allow us to talk about waltz as their genre feature.

The waltz genre was developed in many national music schools (E. Grieg's waltzes for piano, J. Sibelius' "Sad Waltz", etc.); it acquired special significance in Russian music - from the early experiments of amateur and everyday music-making (A. S. Griboedov's waltz for piano, Russian everyday romance) to classical examples of poetically enriched symphonic and concert waltz (M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky , A. K. Glazunov, A. N. Skryabin, S. V. Rachmaninov).

In the symphonic works of P. I. Tchaikovsky, the waltz serves as a generalized poetic expression of ideas about beauty, the value of life. This tradition develops in the waltzes of S. S. Prokofiev ("Pushkin's" waltzes, the opera "War and Peace", the ballet "Cinderella", etc.).

WALTZ

(French valse, through German walzer, from walzen, here - spin) - ballroom dance, consisting in a smooth progressive movement in pairs. musical time 3/4. the pace is usually fast or moderately fast. appeared in the second half of the 18th century. in urban life, gradually developing from the folk dances of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. spread throughout Europe in the 19th century. The Viennese waltz gained particular popularity. the waltz also became widespread in piano, orchestral, etc. plays, part of a major work and as the basis of a romance, an aria.

Dictionary of musical terms. 2012

Origin

The waltz owes its birth to many dances of different peoples of Europe. Its roots are in the popular for its time dance "Mathenik" and its variety "Furiante" performed at holidays in the Czech countryside, in the French dance "Volt" ("Lavolta") and, finally, in the Austrian "Lendler", the closest to waltz from his predecessors.

It is believed that the predecessor of the waltz is the French medieval woltz dance. It began with something like Poland, but after a few bars, the gentleman had to lift his lady, continuing to twist her. The wolse was danced at the French court until Louis XIII banned it.

Germany and Austria are considered to be the birthplace of the Waltz.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries there were several different waltz forms, including some in 2/4, 6/8 and 5/4 time signatures.

Waltz is one of the arts of expressive movements in 3/4 rhythm.

Waltz Varieties

Fast waltz forms are called Viennese waltz
Waltz of the international standard - danced only in closed positions
You can also dance in open positions, as they danced in Italy at the end of the 18th century.

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Literature

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

An excerpt characterizing the Waltz

Pierre began to talk about Karataev (he had already got up from the table and was walking around, Natasha followed him with her eyes) and stopped.
“No, you cannot understand what I have learned from this illiterate fool.
“No, no, speak,” said Natasha. – Where is he?
“He was killed almost in front of me. - And Pierre began to tell the last time of their retreat, Karataev's illness (his voice trembled incessantly) and his death.
Pierre told his adventures as he had never told them to anyone before, as he himself had never yet remembered them. He now saw, as it were, a new meaning in all that he had experienced. Now, when he told all this to Natasha, he experienced that rare pleasure that women give when listening to a man - not smart women who, while listening, try or remember what they are told in order to enrich their mind and, on occasion, retell something or adapt what is being told to your own and communicate as soon as possible your clever speeches worked out in your small mental economy; but the pleasure that real women give, gifted with the ability to choose and absorb into themselves all the best that is only in the manifestations of a man. Natasha, not knowing it herself, was all attention: she did not miss a word, not a fluctuation of her voice, not a look, not a twitch of a facial muscle, not a gesture of Pierre. On the fly, she caught a word that had not yet been spoken and directly brought it into her open heart, guessing the secret meaning of all Pierre's spiritual work.
Princess Mary understood the story, sympathized with it, but now she saw something else that absorbed all her attention; she saw the possibility of love and happiness between Natasha and Pierre. And for the first time this thought came to her filled her soul with joy.
It was three in the morning. Waiters with sad and stern faces came to change the candles, but no one noticed them.
Pierre finished his story. Natasha, with sparkling, animated eyes, continued to look stubbornly and attentively at Pierre, as if wanting to understand something else that he had not expressed, perhaps. Pierre, in bashful and happy embarrassment, occasionally glanced at her and thought of what to say now in order to transfer the conversation to another subject. Princess Mary was silent. It never occurred to anyone that it was three o'clock in the morning and that it was time for bed.
“They say: misfortunes, suffering,” said Pierre. - Yes, if now, this minute they told me: do you want to remain what you were before captivity, or first survive all this? For God's sake, once again captured and horse meat. We think how we will be thrown out of the usual path, that everything is gone; And here only begins a new, good. As long as there is life, there is happiness. There are many, many ahead. I’m telling you this,” he said, turning to Natasha.

Monotonous and insane
Like a whirlwind of young life,
The waltz whirl is whirling noisily;
The couple flashes by the couple.

(“Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin)

Perhaps, thanks to these lines from the novel “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin, you guessed that our meeting today is dedicated to the eternal symbol of romanticism, this living, flying, poetic, flexible, gentle dance called WALTZ.

As a musical genre, the waltz has lived an eventful life. Hundreds of composers have composed waltzes, many of them have been written, tens of thousands, maybe even a million; no one ever figured it out. But imagine that there is a "waltz museum"; we go there on an excursion to get acquainted with the most interesting, most diverse “exhibits”.

Mankind has been dancing since time immemorial. Already in the rock paintings, created several thousand years ago, there are images of dancing people. And in the works of painting and sculpture of Ancient Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and China that have come down to us, there are no number of dance scenes. And next to a person dancing, a person is often depicted playing, with a musical instrument in his hands. Music and dance are inseparable friends, dance without music is almost unthinkable. Dancing without music is like dancing without water. From ancient times to the present day, people have been dancing - on holidays or just on free evenings, having fun at ease or participating in solemn ceremonies. Many centuries ago, dances could be seen both in rural squares, where peasants circled to the simple accompaniment of home-made instruments, and in magnificent palace halls, accompanied by trumpets, violas or an orchestra. Most of these dances have survived to this day in one form or another.

The fate of Austrian dance is interesting Landler. This paired circular 3-part dance got its name from the Austrian region of Landal. At the beginning of the 19th century, he moved from the countryside of Austria and Germany to the city halls. They began to dance it at balls and gradually it turned into a well-known and beloved Waltz.

There are no eternal dances. Sooner or later, their rhythms lag behind the rapid pace of life. The time for the waltz has passed. It is danced very little, and then not in everyday life, but as a ballroom dance. And yet he is alive. It was preserved for humanity by classical music. Having captured, with the help of a waltz, her era - golden for music of the 19th century, she raised its ordinary, everyday intonations to the level of high art, for which the change of eras is not only not terrible, but also helps to see the value of his creations.

Piano waltzes by Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, Glinka's symphonic "Waltz-Fantasy", ballet and symphonic waltzes by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, as well as various arrangements for many popular instruments - all this belongs to the treasury of musical classics.

Now the waltz of the “King of the Viennese Waltz” by Johann Strauss “Spring Voices” will sound.

1. I. Strauss “Spring voices”

Waltz - in German "walzer", which means "rotational", "dance - rotation". The Germans in the old days also called the same dance “roller” - “circle” or “dreer” - “swirl”. The names are different, but the meaning is the same. Why are all the words German? Because, according to its ancient origin, it is a German peasant dance. By the way, it was once called so: “Deutscher” - “German” or “Lendler” - “peasant”. Here are two more curious names for the waltz: “spinner” - “spinner” and “schleifer” - “grinder”. They also hint at rotational movements. But these names have an interesting feature - they are imitative. Waltz movements, it turns out, once imitated the work of a spinner, a grinder. It turns out that people take pleasure in repeating in dances the movements that they see around them. In the end, all the names were forgotten, only one remained - Waltz- a dance that is danced in pairs, spinning, spinning.

Let's spin with you in this gentle and poetic dance. Now the Russian waltz will sound. For Russian composers, waltz is not only a dance, but also a way to convey various feelings and moods. So, the “Melancholic Waltz” by A. Dargomyzhsky sounds.

2. A. Dargomyzhsky “Melancholic waltz”

The path of the waltz to universal recognition was not easy. Many things in the new dance seemed unacceptable to the aristocratic and bourgeois milieu. The waltz movements were found indecent: is it ever seen that a gentleman would hug a young lady in front of everyone and press him to himself ... Terrible! As one French journalist said, "the limit of obscenity and obscenity." There were official and unofficial speeches against the waltz. In Vienna in the first decade of the 19th century it was forbidden to dance the waltz for more than ten minutes. In Russia, the waltz was also persecuted. He was disliked by Catherine the Second, and under Paul the First a police order was published that forbade "the use of a dance called a waltz."

But the prohibitions did not help, and the waltz spread throughout Europe, as it was said in one treatise, "like an epidemic of the common cold." The waltz microbe was terribly contagious. End of the 18th century. Vienna is the capital of Austria. On the throne - no matter what the name of the emperor was, truly on the throne Waltz. The waltz is danced by everyone and everywhere. The great composer V.A. Mozart, also a Viennese, laughs. A visiting foreigner notes in his diary: “The whole city from the washerwoman to the nobleman is spinning, there is some kind of dance disease in the waltz!”

Soon, in the 19th century, an epidemic called "Waltz" swept the whole world. What did those who fell ill with the waltz feel? Slight dizziness, a feeling of happiness, some kind of poetic oblivion. And persistent unwillingness to be treated. Moreover, there were composers who did everything possible for worldwide distribution. waltz.

Many Russian composers turned to this genre. He was part of the social life. The ability to dance and play the waltz was a sign of a good upbringing. The waltz was so popular that it was composed and performed not only by composers, but also by poets. The “Waltz” of the Russian playwright, poet and musician A.S. Griboyedov. In fact, this waltz is the first Russian instrumental waltz that has survived to this day due to its artistic merit. It is popular, heard by many and is loved by the widest circles of music lovers. So, the “Waltz” by A. Griboyedov sounds.

3. A. Griboedov "Waltz"

Here is a new frontier on the clock of history: the 20th century, and with what ease, with what freshness, the waltz is fighting. Our program will continue with the old waltz "Autumn Dream" by the English composer Archibald Joyce. Starting his career as a dancer, he organized his own dance group, which became one of the most popular in the country, began to compose music. Basically, these were waltzes, which gave their author an honorary the title of the English waltz king. In 1909, Archibald Joyce made a tour as a conductor in Europe. It is quite possible that it was then that he visited Russia, where his waltzes, especially “Autumn Dream”, fell in love and were remembered. Numerous editions of notes of waltzes, records with their recordings were published in Russia in huge numbers. Then, in the pre-revolutionary years, the first song versions of the waltz “Autumn Dream” appeared. Now we will hear this waltz "Autumn Dream" by Archibald Joyce.

4. A. Joyce “Autumn Waltz”

Playing in the city garden
Brass band.

(song waltz
M. Blanter and A. Fatyanov
"In the city garden")

Such was the wonderful tradition of Russian musical life: military brass bands played in the city gardens and parks in the summer. Their repertoire consisted of works of so-called “garden music”: overtures and suites, fantasies and marches, polkas and waltzes, which were so pleasant to listen to, sitting a little further on a bench or walking along the alleys of the garden. The special charm of these concerts was given by the so-called “old Russian waltzes”, one of the most popular of which is the waltz “On the Hills of Manchuria” by I. Shatrov. This work was written by military conductor Ilya Alekseevich Shatrov. After graduating from the Warsaw Conservatory, he was appointed bandmaster of the Moksha Infantry Regiment. In 1904 - 1905, this regiment was on the fronts of the Russo-Japanese War and took part in the grand battle of Mukden, where the losses of Russian troops were especially significant. It was then that Shatrov wrote his waltz “The Moksha Regiment on the Hills of Manchuria”, dedicated to the memory of the fallen. And now we will be transported with you to that garden, that year and listen to that very waltz.

5. I. Shatrov “On the hills of Manchuria”

This was probably the first “epidemic of dance” in the history of world culture that swept the world for such a long time. The waltz swirled in its whirlwind, first Vienna, and then the whole of Europe. The waltz genre is becoming so popular that it penetrates into different national cultures. So the waltz appeared in Tatar music. The “Waltz” of the Tatar composer Khusnulla Valiullin can serve as an example.

6. H. Valiullin “Waltz”

In the world of symphonic music, we can meet relatively simple dances, turned by the hands of master composers into fascinating orchestral pieces. Perhaps the first place among these masters is occupied by the famous Austrian composer, nicknamed at one time the “king of waltzes” Johann Strauss - the son, so as not to be confused with Strauss - the father, also Johann, also a composer, author of more than 250 waltzes, polkas and other dances.

Father and son divided the 19th century among themselves, the father worked in the first half of the century, the son in the second. Knowing not only fame, but also all the vicissitudes of the fate of the musician's profession, which at that time was not highly respected, Strauss - the father was against his son's musical studies. But Strauss - the son went against the will of his father, and even surpassed him in all respects: he lived 30 years longer, was, no doubt, much more talented and composed twice as many dances - almost 500.

The popularity of the brilliant, sweeping, exciting dances of Johann Strauss - the son was truly incredible. His waltzes were danced everywhere - in the imperial palaces and small taverns, they danced in houses, on the streets and squares. All of Europe went crazy over Strauss' Viennese Waltzes. It is difficult to name a composer who managed to captivate the aristocracy with his music and at the same time become a favorite composer in the widest circles of the common people. At the mention of the name of Strauss, a smile always appears on the face - people are waiting for something bright, cheerful, exciting.

At the end of our meeting, we will hear the "Waltz" by Johann Strauss from the operetta "Die Fledermaus", which captivates both with the variety of dance rhythms and the beauty of the melody.

7. I. Strauss "Waltz" from the operetta "The Bat"

Our tour of the “Waltz Museum” is coming to an end. I would like to add to the above that the waltz genre is not outdated in our time. Every year in Vienna, Christmas balls are held, where the symbol of the holiday is exactly Waltz. Secular famous people from the world of cinema, theater, and who are ardent fans of this beautiful dance gather there. We hope that you will join their number. Thank you for your attention.