The history of the origin of the waltz. Slow waltz Waltz in Russian culture

Waltz (waltz) Is a dance that everyone around the world loves and knows. It is danced with pleasure everywhere: at the famous Viennese balls, at receptions, weddings, graduation balls, clubs. No wonder he is called the "king" of dances. This is a romantic, gentle and magical dance.

When and where did Waltz first appear?

The waltz is young enough, it cannot be counted among the old dances. Its age is just over two centuries. But the exact date of its origin is not known for certain to anyone.

There are several versions of the origin of this dance, and all of them date back to the middle of the 18th century. According to one of the versions, it is believed that the waltz originated from the German rapid dance "Walzer", where the couples whirled around, tightly hugging each other. According to another version - it originated from the Austrian dance "landler", in which the couples moved slowly one after another in a circle.

There is another version of the origin of the dance - this is the French folk dance "Volt". The name of this dance comes from the Italian word "voltare" - to turn. It was danced in pairs with the obligatory turns of one dancing around the other.

The very name of the dance Waltz is supposed to have come from the German word “ walzen”, Which means to spin. And, indeed, the waltz is always spinning.

Modern waltz

Modern waltz, dance is multifaceted and there are a huge number of its varieties:

• waltz minion
• waltz mazurka
• English
• Hungarian
• Viennese
• waltz boston
• figured waltz
• tango waltz

But the most common, which are performed at all competitions, include two types:

1. Slow waltz aka waltz-boston or English waltz, the performance of which requires special discipline and high-level technique, despite its elegance and romance. The movements of the pair should be soft, sliding. The time signature of this dance is 3/4 with an emphasis on each beat. The tempo is 28-31 beats per minute. It must be executed in a closed position.
2. Viennese waltz (fast waltz)... Performing this dance requires complete understanding from the couple. Despite the swiftness of the dance, the movements should be performed with grace and fluidity. The body must always be tightly tightened. The Viennese Waltz is performed in a musical meter 3/4 with an emphasis on the downbeat. The tempo is 58-64 beats per minute with an emphasis on the first count. Like all dances of the European program, it is danced in a closed position.

In the 30s of the XIX century, the formation of the Viennese waltz was promoted by the great Austrian composers of that time - Franz Lanner, Johann Strauss the father and the equally famous composer Johann Strauss the son, who wrote such popular and world-famous works as The Blue Danube and "Tales from the Vienna Woods". The Viennese waltz in the 19th century eclipsed all others and became official and remains it to this day.

And in conclusion, I, of course, would like to say about the age at which it is possible and necessary to study this magical dance.

If you are older than 4 and not much older than 120, then it's time for you to study Waltz

The study of Waltz does not require special physical training and is suitable for people of any age and any physique.

Dear men, be sure to learn how to dance the Waltz! And once inviting your chosen one to this magical dance, you will truly look in the eyes of your queen not only as a king, but also as a romantic, which certainly cannot leave her heart indifferent.

Waltz is one of the most romantic and favorite dances, uniting generations and plunging us into a state of some euphoria. The waltz genre is so loved by many songwriters who wrote their imperishable masterpieces that have not lost their popularity for many years - "May Waltz", "Victory Waltz", "Dombai Waltz" and many others.

The history of the emergence of dance

Waltz cannot be attributed to ancient dances. Compared to the allemande or chime, the waltz is young. Its age is estimated at less than two centuries. But no one knows for sure the exact origin of this dance.

According to one version, the progenitor of the waltz was the German swift Walzer. And another version says that the waltz originated from the landler - a three-beat dance of German and Austrian peasants, which was danced in pairs and always in a circle. Quite a simple dance, devoid of complex elements. However, it has all the signs of a future waltz - the partner's touching the lady's waist, moving in a circle, getting the partner on his knee, as an indispensable element of a modern waltz.

Over time, the dance changed many times, acquiring the outlines of the waltz familiar to us, and reached the aristocracy. The waltz penetrated secular balls and receptions, however, having undergone many negative responses. So, in 1816, the waltz was included in ballroom dancing at the court. After that, the dance was heavily criticized by religious leaders and confessors. They considered him "depraved", "shameful", devoid of chastity, violating the norms of morality and ethics, because such behavior in the dance could only be demonstrated by courtesans. The dance was labeled as "sinful", "vulgar" and "obscene" and decided that it was not worthy of decent society. This attitude towards the waltz was observed throughout Europe. Especially in prim England, where manners were even more strict.

But the waltz could not be completely strangled. The bourgeoisie enthusiastically accepted the German dance. It was circulated among the townspeople in secular dance parlors, although it provoked outrage among moralists who compared the love of waltz as an addiction.

Maybe the waltz would have remained a persecuted dance, if not for the work of Strauss, Lanner and other composers of the era of romanticism. The peak of their popularity came in the 30s of the 19th century. The refined music gave impetus to the development of waltz choreography, acquiring grace, lightness and beauty. By the end of the 19th century, the waltz had become a full-fledged dance at court balls. Its popularity was promoted by Queen Victoria, a passionate lover of ballroom dancing, especially waltz.

Views

Waltz is a romantic, gentle and very diverse dance. The trials and modifications that the waltz has experienced during its existence have helped to give birth to the most different types of this wonderful dance. Today there are a huge number of waltz varieties, but the most common are:

Viennese waltz

The dance is fast, impetuous, graceful, light.

Slow inals (waltz-boston or english waltz)

Elegant, discreet, demanding high discipline and good technique. Characterized by a change of pace, the presence of sustained pauses and ferments.

Tango waltz

A combined genre that combines tango and waltz elements. It is also called the Argentine Waltz.

Figured waltz

Waltz, which entered the sports program of ballroom dancing back in the USSR in the 60s of the 20th century. Characterized by the execution of strict figures (elements).

Waltz features

Waltz as an instrumental genre is very popular among classical composers. In addition to the aforementioned Strauss and Lanner, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Glinka often turned to the waltz genre. And largely thanks to them, the waltz is so popular and loved.

The modern waltz is multifaceted and full of varieties - slow and sedate, fast and impetuous. But they all have one thing in common - the three-beat size with an emphasis on the strong beat. “One, two, three” - this is the pulsation of the waltz, its rhythmic structure. The waltz is always spinning. Indeed, even the word "waltz" itself comes from the German "walzen", meaning "to spin" or "whirl". Therefore, the music of the waltz can always be distinguished by the sensation of light whirling, fast or slow.

But the waltz is performed mainly in a closed position, and the most popular figure in the waltz is considered to be a full revolution in two measures with three steps in each.

The history of the origin of the waltz.

The first Viennese Waltz dates from the 12-13th century and is used in a dance called "Nachtanz". The Viennese Waltz came to us from Bavaria and was called then as "German". Around the beginning of 1830, composers Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss wrote several very famous waltzes of our era, thus contributing to the development and popularity of this dance. These waltzes were quite fast, but having made the rhythm of the dance more comfortable, we now call them Viennese Waltz and always dance with joy.
Waltz - from the old German word "walzen" - to spin, twirl, slide in the dance. Waltz is a ballroom dance of 3/4 time signature with special emphasis on the first measure and the main figure “step-step-closed position”. A waltz is a movement or glide in a lively and outstanding manner of performance (achieved easily and performed successfully).

The waltz originated in the vicinity of Vienna and the Alpine region of Austria. The waltz was danced at balls at the Habsburg court at the beginning of the 17th century. Much earlier this time, "whirling dances" were performed by Austrian and Bavarian peasants. Many easily recognizable waltz motifs can be traced in simple peasant tunes.

In the middle of the eighteenth century, the German waltz variety was very popular in France. Initially, this dance was danced as one of the figures of the country dance (quadrille) with intertwined arms at shoulder level, but soon the waltz became an independent dance, and a "closed position" was introduced. By the end of the 18th century, this old Austrian peasant dance was adopted by high society with a musical meter of 3/4 (three quarters).

Despite the popularity of the waltz, there was no shortage of opponents. Dance teachers saw waltz as a threat to their profession. The basic steps in the waltz could be learned in a relatively short time, while the minuet and other court dances required considerable practice, not only in learning the many complex figures, but also in perfecting the corresponding positions and demeanors during the dance.

Waltz was also criticized for moral convictions: they objected to too close and close position in the dance, as well as fast whirling movements. Religious leaders almost unanimously considered this dance vulgar and sinful. European court circles stubbornly opposed the waltz. In England (a country of strict morality) the waltz was adopted even later.

In July 1816, the waltz was included in the ball program given in London by the Prince Regent. A few days later, an editorial in The Times reported angrily: “We watched in pain as an obscene foreign dance called the Waltz was presented (hopefully for the first and last time) at the English Court on Friday ... absolutely it is enough to glance at the sensually entwined limbs and tightly pressed bodies together in dance to see how far we have gone from the modest restraint, which until now was considered a hallmark of English women. While this obscene dance was confined to the circle of prostitutes and adulterers, we did not think it deserved our attention, but now, as the waltz tries to infiltrate the respectable classes of our society through the civic example set by our rulers, we feel obligated to warn every parent against showing this dance to their daughters, for the waltz will inevitably have a detrimental effect on them. "(Source: The Times, London, July 16, 1816)

Even later, in 1866, an article in the English magazine Belgravia reported: “The one who all night long watches without much concern as his sister or wife, seized by a stranger and subject to a passionate embrace, dance around a small room - the only obvious excuse such an indecent treatment can only be that all this is happening to the sound of music - he can hardly understand the horror with which the performance of this immoral dance was greeted. "

The history of the Viennese waltz.
The year of the Viennese waltz creation is considered to be 1775. However, the first mention of dances similar to waltz dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when the “Nachtanz” was danced in Bavaria. The main controversy is caused by two versions of the origin of the dance - Germanic, in England for a long time they called it "German" waltz, and French, or rather, French-Italian. Only one thing is obvious - the Viennese waltz is definitely not from Austria, but they call it that, since it experienced its peak of popularity at the beginning of the 19th century. in Vienna to the music of Strauss.
Let's consider both versions, while it is worth noting that most researchers consider it to be French after all ... #
1st version. A waltz is a dance performed to music with three beats per measure. Each measure starts with a percussive score and ends with a less emphasized one, which creates great difficulties for beginners, and for an experienced dancer, such a rhythm creates a delightful romantic play. The history of three-quarter dances can be traced quite easily, since most of the dances were and are danced in two and four counts (after all, we have two legs!), And there are not very many dances in three counts. One of the first dances in the rhythm "three quarters" - a peasant French dance from Provence (Provence), about the year of which - 1559, wrote the Paris newspaper "La Patrie" ("Motherland") January 17, 1882 This dance was performed to folk music , called "Volta", although with this name at the same time there was an Italian folk dance. In Italian, the word "volta" means "turn". Already in the first versions of the dance, it was based on continuous rotation. During the 16th century, the volta became popular in the halls of the royal courts of Western Europe, where dancing was then performed. Arbeau describes this dance as similar to the "Galliard", performed to the music in a 3/2 beat, but faster. At the same time, the volta and the galliard were danced in five steps, six beats to the music. In the volta, the partners danced in a closed position, but the lady shifted to the left relative to the gentleman! The partner held the partner by the waist, the lady put her right hand on the gentleman's shoulder, supporting the skirt with her left hand. The dress had to be held, because during the rotations the skirt got entangled around the pair and made it difficult to move on. The most famous depiction of this dance is the painting of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I, dancing the Volta with the Earl of Lancaster (Leicester), flying above the floor in the hands of the count. Interestingly, the background of the picture is the hall of the French Royal Court! The Volta of those days is similar to the modern, Norwegian folklore version of the waltz. As in any dance with rotations, since one of the partners actually takes steps around the other, they have to be taken longer than in normal side steps. In this case, the partner's legs are usually longer than the partner's legs, and in order for the partner to bypass the partner, in the Norwegian waltz he lifts her off the floor and carries her through the air. At the Volta, the partners did the same, while holding on to each other so much that in secular society dance began to be considered extremely immoral and was banned by the King of France Louis XIII (1610-1613). Volta, originally performed in three counts, but actually in five steps, gradually began to be performed to music in five counts. More descriptions of a dance in three counts called "Hole in the Wall" were made by Playford in 1695. This is the end of the history of the waltz in France ... #
2nd version: In 1754, the first music appeared in Germany, which vaguely resembled modern waltzes and was called "Waltzen". Until now, researchers studying the origins of modern dances do not know how the fusion and interaction of two dances - "Waltzen" and "Volta" took place, although in German the word "waltzen" also means "to rotate". Music, which in rhythm and character coincides with the modern melodies of the Viennese waltz, appeared in 1770. The "waltz-like" dances were first performed in Paris in 1775. "Waltzen", like the Volta, did not correspond to the moral norms of that time, in 1779 a pamphlet of a certain "Wolf" appeared under the title: "Proofs that waltzing is the main source of body weakness and degeneration of our generation." In 1799, Arndt described this dance: "The ladies lifted long dresses so as not to get tangled and not to step on them, the dresses carried them like a carpet above the ground, pressing the bodies of partners close to each other ...". The ballroom audience became interested in the waltz after in 1787 several couples danced it in the opera "A Rare Thing, or Beauty and Virtue" staged in Vienna by the composer V. Martin y Soler. It was there that the dance became very popular. Large dance halls were opened especially for waltz, such as Sperl in 1807, Apollo in 1808 (which could accommodate 3000 couples!). In 1812. the dance appears in England under the name "German waltz" and causes a great sensation, reaching its greatest popularity in 1816. Initially, the waltz was danced rather slowly; gradually his rhythm accelerated. The fact that during the dance the gentleman took the lady by the waist was very unusual - after all, in most dances of that era, partners touched only with their fingertips. Because of this, at first, many considered the waltz "immoral" dance. The angry Lord Byron in 1813, seeing his wife in the arms of a friend at an unacceptable distance, wrote: "A healthy gentleman, like a hussar, swings with a lady, as if on a swing, while they twirl like two May beetles, planted on one awl." The struggle against the "German waltz" continued, in 1833 in the book "Rules of Good Conduct" Miss Selbart wrote: "This dance is only for girls of easy virtue!"
When the waltz appeared in Russia, neither Catherine II, nor Paul I, nor especially his wife Maria Feodorovna approved of it. Having ascended the throne, Paul, by a special decree, forbade dancing the waltz in Russia, and until the very death of his wife (and Maria Fedorovna died in 1830), the waltz road to the Russian court was closed.
Both sons of Maria Feodorovna - Alexander I and Nicholas I - did not dare to contradict their mother. But at private balls after the Patriotic War of 1812, the waltz became one of the favorite dances. The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), at which the fate of Europe was decided, made it especially fashionable. During the day, diplomats solved important problems of the post-war order, and in the evenings they led an active social life and danced at balls, where the waltz was the crown dance.
A lot of people came to Vienna then: kings and emperors, whole European courts, journalists and writers, high society beauties, and everyone waltzed with rapture. Naturally, the Russians participating in the Congress brought the waltz to St. Petersburg. For quite a long time, the waltz's reputation remained dubious. "This dance, in which, as is known, persons of both sexes turn and come closer together, requires proper care ... so that they do not dance too close to each other, which would offend decency," said the 1825 dance manual, (Rules for Noble Social Dances published by the dance teacher at the Slobodsko-Ukrainian gymnasium Ludovik Petrovsky. Kharkov, 1825). The youth, however, were crazy about the waltz, and by this time not a single provincial, let alone a capital ball, could do without it. After 1830, they began to waltz at court balls, and soon the fashion for this dance found a second wind. The “king of the waltz” Johann Strauss appeared in Vienna, whose music refined and improved the dance choreography. It began to be performed more beautifully and gracefully, and its pace accelerated even more. Contemporaries recalled that in Russia they danced the waltz quickly, so that aristocratic youth with their ability to quickly spin in a waltz favorably distinguished themselves from performers of slow dances, which were not difficult for everyone. “With my lack of skill in dancing, I feel that for your Russian waltzes, not only I, but none of my comrades are capable,” wrote the Englishman J.C. Poil to the Russian journalist M.N. Makarov in 1805 - for them, for your flying waltzes in the whole of Europe, only you, Russians, are masters, and, apart from Russian ladies, neither an Englishwoman, nor a German, nor even a Frenchwoman can withstand these too fast, almost airy petals. " 1999, June 3, marked the hundredth anniversary of the death of Johan Strauss, "King of the Waltzes". He was born on August 25, 1825 in Vienna, died in 1899. His father, who was born in Vienna in 1804, was then the most popular composer in Austria, his name was also Johann Strauss. Thanks to his upbringing, as well as the fact that both of them were born in Vienna, the waltz began to bear the name of "Viennese".
The "Waltz King" lived a very long life at that time in music, having written more than 500 waltzes, various polkas, quadrille, and marches. He was married three times, his first wife Jetty Treffz, a singer, convinced him to try his hand at operetta, and his "The Bat" (1874) and "Gypsy Baron" (1885) became operetta classics. A huge number of composers of the mid-19th century, the Strauss brothers and nephews, wrote waltzes inspired by the work of Johann Strauss.
Currently, "Vienna Waltz" is performed in a rhythm of about 180 beats per minute, with a limited range of movements: change steps, hesitations, hovers, passing changes, natural and reverse turns, moving to the center and rotation (Fleckerls), turning into contracheck.

The waltz is a wonderful dance that has inspired many poets to write soulful lines.

Dance was constantly present in people's lives. From ancient times to the present day, it has been one of the ways of self-expression. Previously, dancing could be seen in rural squares or in lush palace halls. Some of them have been preserved forever in their era. Others have successfully survived to our time. Waltz is one of the dances that has not lost its popularity until now.

The origin of the waltz

This extremely exciting and always young dance has lived for two centuries and is extremely popular. In Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, on various holidays, peasants swirled merrily in pairs. Walzen means "to roll" in German. Hence the name of the dance. Gradually the "stomping" and "bouncing" characteristic of folk dances disappeared.

Waltz is one of the dances that spread rapidly across different countries at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Which composer wrote waltzes?

Many composers have turned to the waltz genre. Initially, this dance conquered Vienna. One of Johann Strauss wrote about 447 plays of this kind. Due to the special softness of the outlines, it acquired a waltz. Frederic Chopin's music is filled with broad melodic chant. His dances, written in this genre, are distinguished by tenderness and deep penetration. F. Chopin can rightfully be considered the creator of poetic, lyrical and brilliant concert waltzes.

Characteristic features of the waltz

• three-beat waltz size;
• lyricism;
• plastic;
• grace;
• typical rhythmic formula;
• fairly fast movement;
• textured formula of accompaniment: bass and two chords;
• a simple melody that often follows the sounds of a triad;
• flight performance;
• "flying" melodic line.

Waltz precursors

First of all, this is a landler. It is a three-beat Austrian and German dance of leisurely movement.

Landlers are found in the works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert. The melody in these dances is mostly simple. Moves in even eighth notes along the sounds of the triad.

Later, the Walzer appeared as a kind of Landler. Translated from German, it means "whirling".

And the waltz itself appeared in the eighteenth century as a ballroom version of the Walzer.

Classic. Music. Waltz

Franz Schubert wrote many waltzes. They remind him of Landlers and Walzers. However, the composer also has graceful and light dances in the waltz genre. Franz Schubert also has a kind of "chains", which can include up to twenty different small waltzes.

In the 20s of the 19th century, the Viennese waltz appears. It already has a more ordered form. The number of "links" ranges from five. They all sound in the same key. The music begins with an introduction and ends with a coda. This form was invented by Joseph Lanner and Johann Strauss. The son of I. Strauss uses his father's favorite five-part form, but his waltzes turn into detailed musical poems.

Frederic Chopin's piano waltzes are lyrical miniatures that tell about the experiences of the human soul. The composer has eighteen of them. Frederic Chopin's waltzes are different in character. There are quiet and melodious, and there are brilliant and virtuoso. They are written in the form of a rondo.

Waltz types

1. Viennese waltz. To dance it correctly, you need to monitor the strict and fit body. The beauty of this dance lies in the changing pace and alternating right and left turns. Despite the spinning speed, the movements are smooth.
2. Waltz boston. This is the one that was finally formed in England. At the moment, it is considered an independent dance. In the music of the English waltz, the rhythm of the melody changes. Along with this, the movement of partners, the position in a pair, and the technique of execution are changing. The movements in this dance are wave-like, soft and sliding.
3. Tango waltz. It is also called Argentinean. It combines tango and waltz elements. He dances three-quarters.

Thus, a waltz is a fairly fast movement. Its size is three quarters. Its characteristic features include: smoothness, "flightiness", grace, plasticity and lyricism. It has a typical rhythmic and textured formula. The melodic line is simple. Many composers have turned to the waltz genre. These are Schubert, Strauss, Chopin, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and many others.