Waltz
The waltz (from the Gallicism valse, which in turn comes from the Germanism Walzer, a term from the German verb walzen, 'turn, roll') is an elegant ballroom dance, documented in its final form from the late 18th century. It is the evolution of an ancient dance from the 12th century, originally from Tyrol (Austria) and southern Germany. The waltz gained its rank of nobility in Vienna during the 1760s, and became fashionable in that city around the 1780s, rapidly spreading to other countries. Some authors believe that the waltz originated from the volte or volta, a 3-beat dance practiced during the 16th century. The word waltz was born in the 18th century, when this dance was introduced in opera and in ballet.
History
There are many references to a glide or glide dance that would evolve into the waltz dating to 16th century Europe, including renderings by printer Hans Sebald Beham. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote of a ball he saw in 1580 in Augsburg, in which the dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched. Kunz Haas (about the same time) wrote: "Now the impious Weller or Spinner are dancing." "The vigorous dancer The peasant, following an instinctive knowledge of the weight of the fall, uses his surplus energy to press all his strength into the proper rhythm of the compás, thus intensifying his personal enjoyment in the dance. " Around 1750, the lower classes of the Bavarian, Tyrolean and Styrian regions began to dance a couple dance called the Walzer. The Ländler, also known as the Schleifer, a country dance in 3
4 era, it was popular in Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria, stretching from the countryside to the city suburbs. While the upper classes of the 18th century continued to dance the minuets (like those of Mozart, Haydn and Händel), the bored nobles they escaped to the dances of their servants.
In the 1771 German novel Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim by Sophie von La Roche, a high-born character thus complains about the newly introduced waltz among aristocrats: "But when he He put his arm around her, pulled her to his chest, cavorted with her in the shameless and indecent dance of the Germans, and engaged in a familiarity that broke all bounds of politeness, then my silent misery turned to burning rage& #3. 4;
Describing life in Vienna (dated 1776 or 1786), Don Curzio wrote: "People danced madly... The ladies of Vienna are particularly noted for their grace and waltz movements, of which that never get tired." There is a waltz at the end of the second act of the 1786 opera Una Cosa Rara by Martín y Soler. Soler's waltz was marked as andante con moto, that is, "at the rhythm of a walk with movement", but the flow of the dance accelerated in Vienna giving rise to the Geschwindwalzer, and the Galloppwalzer.
In the 19th century, the word mainly indicated that the dance was one of turning; he "waltzed" in the polka to indicate turning instead of going straight without turning.
First introduced, surprising many, the waltz became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s, spreading to many other countries in the following years. According to contemporary singer Michael Kelly, it arrived in England in 1791. During the Napoleonic Wars, foot soldiers of the King's German Legion introduced the dance to the inhabitants of Bexhill, Sussex, beginning in 1804.
It became fashionable in Britain during the Regency Period, having been made respectable by the endorsement of Dorothea Lieven, wife of the Russian ambassador. The diarist Thomas Raikes later recounted that "no event ever produced such a sensation in Britain." English society as the introduction of the waltz in 1813". A sardonic homage by Lord Byron to the dance (written the previous autumn) was published anonymously that same year. Influential dance teacher and instruction manual author Thomas Wilson published A Description of the Correct Method of Waltzing in 1816. Almack's, the most exclusive club in London, allowed the waltz, although the entry in the Oxford English Dictionary shows that it was considered "troublesome and indecent" as early as 1825. In Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, in a scene set in 1827, the local vicar, the Reverend Milward, tolerates gangs and country dances, but intervenes decisively when a waltz is called for, declaring "No, no, I wont allow it! Come on, it's time to go home.
The waltz, especially its closed position, became the example for the creation of many other ballroom dances. Subsequently, new types of waltz have been developed, including many folk dances and various ballroom dances.
Musical genre
In its origin it had a slow movement although, now it has become a dance with a lively and fast rhythm. Its most significant feature is that its time signatures are 3/4. In waltz time signature, the first beat is always considered the strong beat (F), and the other two are weak (d). Thus, the pattern is "F, d, d." When hearing the word 'waltz', it is immediately related to classical music, but the truth is that the waltz is only a musical genre and can be in any style, for example in the form of Mexican rancheras, although where always The most used rhythm is in the swing (which is 4/4, in the pattern F, d, F, d). It can have a binary, ternary, rondo and rock form.
We speak of "broken waltz" when instead of the usual 3/4 ternary time signature, it is written in 5/4 time. It can be heard, for example, in the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6.
Variants
Europe
The Viennese Waltz
With this name it is known for being a binary dance, in a tempo that includes between 110 and 180 intervals per minute. There are also slow versions (tempo from 60 to 80), called "English waltz" or "humble very old Boston".
Although many variants exist in multiple countries, in dance competitions the Viennese Waltz currently adheres to two forms:
- international style: dance couples are always linked, limiting the number of figures. This dance style is much more elegant.
- American style: much more free dance, in this style the couple can be separated and perform varied figures.
In the international waltz style, on the other hand, the two versions of the waltz are more regulated, as far as speeds are concerned.
The Viennese waltz has 58-60 bars per minute (174-180 intervals per minute), and the English waltz has 28-30 bars per minute (84-90 intervals per minute).
The French waltz or valse musette
Typical popular dance of Paris, which arose in the waltz musette. The musette (in music) is one of the many basic pieces that make up a suite. The term mussette is applied to an instrument of the bagpipe family; to a small keyless oboe, usually in G; and to a dance
The musette is a pseudo-pastoral danceable piece from the 18th century. It refers to an air in 2/4, 3/4 or 6/8 time, with a moderate tempo and a soft and simple character, which corresponds to the instrument from which it takes its name: musette or cleat. Thus, the musette generally has a low pedal that responds to the name of the bordón —which imitates the instrument of the same name—, while in the upper part there are plenty of fast passages, full of grace notes such as appoggiatura or the acciaccaturas. These pieces were danced in the French ballets of the early 18th century century.
This type of air was adapted to pastoral dances, also called musettes, which were to the taste of Louis XIV and Louis XV. This can be seen in the paintings of Antoine Watteu and other painters of the same style.
It also refers to a predominant musical style in Paris, where the accordion was the main instrument. Over time, the musette style became a way of life and even today it is common to associate this type of "urban music" with modern Paris. Already in the 19th century, a great author of waltzes was the French Jew Émile Waldteufel.
America
The tango waltz or criollo waltz
Argentinian and Uruguayan music and dance frequently accompanied with lyrics similar to those of the River Plate tango, the criollo waltz emerged at the end of the XIX century for a double reason: at that time the Viennese waltz, like that of the Johann Strauss, was one of the great fashionable music of the Belle Époque and because to a large part of the Argentine coast- In Uruguay, many Swiss, Austrian and German immigrants immigrated, who influenced Argentine and Uruguayan folk music with their music. Thus, famous Creole waltzes such as "Salud, dinero y amor" or "Caserón de tejas" arose in Argentina, among many others.. In general, the criollo valsecito has an instrumentation (accompanied by a typical vocalization by a singer) that is closer to tango, although its rhythm, slower and more harmonious, and the 3/4 time signature usually used, derives from of the classical waltz or, better said, the Viennese waltz. The Rio de la Plata criollo waltz is usually also danced in a 3/4 time signature; This music is also called tango waltz or Argentine Creole waltz.
The chilote waltz
The chilote waltz is one of the best-known dances in Chiloé, Chile. This dance considers the characteristics of the typical waltz, in which the man and the woman dance linked; however, its personal characteristic is that the jumps and the way of embracing the partner are pronounced with greater intensity. Also deeply rooted in the Central zone of Chile, the difference lies in the fact that the rhythm is more pronounced, resulting in the intensity of the step and in the way of embracing the couple.
The Ecuadorian Waltz
The Quito waltz respected its European originality as it was music created for Quito high society dances and sung at the great presidential banquets of the late century 19th and early 20th century XX. The French colonies settled in Esmeraldas and Quito distributed the sound material and the musicians from Quito were in charge of creating new songs faithful to their European mentors. Among its greatest exponents were Vicente Blacio, Juan Luces C., Luis Manuel Gálvez, Salvador Bustamante, Antonio C. Cabezas and José Ignacio de Veintimilla. Music created in Ecuadorian territory: «Porvenir», «Mi Pensamiento», «Presidente Alfaro», «Últimas Quejas», «Luz de Luna», «Chile» and «Ecuador».
The compilation of the Quito waltz was in charge of Carlos Bonilla Chávez and his 6 strings. LP released by the Onix label in 1970.
The Mexican Waltz
Waltzes were a global fashion and in Mexico they were quickly accepted by both the elites and the popular classes, adapting to the different regions of Mexico, interpreting them with the musical instruments of these regions, such as the marimba, mariachi and others..
Between 1810 and 1815, the waltz arrived in Mexico, quickly gaining popularity. It became a link between classical and popular music.
The Mexican waltz had its own characteristics from the beginning. The vertigo and speed of the dance decreased, it became slower and suitable for listening.
It counts the following most recognized works:
- Young Roses: "On the waves" Josefina (Over the waves; Über den Wellen)
- Enrique Mora: "Vals Alejandra"
- Ricardo Castro: “Capricho”
- Felipe Villanueva: «Olympic»
- Macedonio Alcalá: “God never dies”
The Peruvian Waltz
Dance influenced by the black rhythms of Peru that developed throughout the XX century on the Peruvian coast, and particularly in the city of Lima. Its most famous composers and interpreters were Felipe Pinglo Alva, Oscar Avilés, Lorenzo Humberto Sotomayor, Filomeno Ormeño, Jorge Huirse, Arturo Cavero, Los Morochucos, Los Troveros Criollos, Los Embajadores Criollos, Chabuca Granda, Lucha Reyes, among others. Its peak was in the 40s and 50s, then representing most of the Peruvian musical production.
His steps are shorter and more cadenced than in the traditional waltz. It is also usually faster.
Creole waltzes are inspired by love themes ("Alma", "Corazón y Vida", "Never miss me", "Idolatry"), from the Lima idiosyncrasy ("La flor de la canela", "Si Lima could speak", "Romance en la Parada") and patriotic themes ("Y se llama Perú", "Mi Bandera").
It is today the most varied expression of Peruvian criollismo.
Since the appearance in the eighties of the waltz «Bandida» by Los Troveros Criollos until today, this genre has been renewed by works of chill out musical fusion or by the influence of jazz and the bossa nova.
The Venezuelan Waltz
According to Luis Felipe Ramón y Rivera, there are two currents in the Venezuelan waltz: the salon one and the popular one. In the ballroom waltz, the favorite instrument for its execution is the piano. The names of Manuel Azpúrua, Manuel Guadalajara, Rafael Isaza, Rogelio Caraballo and Ramón Delgado Palacios are emphasized at the beginning of this genre in Venezuela, and they dedicated themselves to the composition of a two-part waltz. From this, the composer Antonio Lauro took an important literature of the waltz for the guitar.
The waltz of oral tradition, or popular waltz, uses for its execution the typical instruments of each Venezuelan region, being cultivated mainly in the Andes and the central-western region of Venezuela. In the Andean region, the violin and the bandola are solo instruments, accompanied by the guitar, triple and cuatro. In Lara it is performed with violin, mandolin, cuatro and guitar.
The characteristic musical structure of popular waltzes consists of three parts. Although many musicians sign their compositions with their names, most have left their creations anonymous.
In the popular tradition, the waltz can be found in many dances and folkloric manifestations, such as the joropo and the tamunangue, among others.
The Punishment
The «punishment» in Ecuador is a national symbol, in the XIX century it passed through Colombia to Panama and Costa Rica; later it was extended to El Salvador and Nicaragua taking into account each of these regional characteristics. In Venezuela it is known as a valse and the Ecuadorian pasillo is very popular in its own country.
Other Waltz Forms
Traditional music and dance also include other more complex waltzes than the 3-beat waltz, called asymmetrical waltz, generally 5, 8 or 11 beats. The extra times, in the waltz step, are danced leaning alternately on each of the legs, thus allowing a slight elevation that accentuates the turns.
Composers and outstanding works
Frédéric Chopin, the great Polish composer and pianist, contributed a number of excellent piano waltzes, including the shortest waltz called the "Waltz of the Minute."
The Strausses also stood out as great waltz composers, especially Johann Strauss Jr. The Frenchman Émile Waldteufel composed such famous waltzes as "The Skaters"; The "Valse triste" by Jean Sibelius and the "Vals núm. 2" by Dmitri Shostakovich. Pieces by Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky were also very popular, such as the "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker, the waltz from Sleeping Beauty or the waltz from Swan Lake, but without a doubt the most remembered testimonies of the genre are pieces by Strauss such as «Viennese Blood», the «Waltz of the Bride and Groom», «The Blue Danube» or the «Waltz of the Emperor".
In Latin America there are various variants such as the Peruvian waltz, the Venezuelan waltz, the Colombian waltz, the Brazilian waltz and the Ecuadorian waltz with characteristics that differ from country to country. We can accurately say that these testimonies among others have come to form a great genre that constitutes an essential treasure in the musical heritage of humanity. Also noteworthy is the musical theme "Tiempo de Vals" by the Spanish composer José María Cano, performed first by Ángela Carrasco and years later by the Puerto Rican singer Chayanne. In addition, it is necessary to mention the work of an internationally known composer of Mexican origin, Maestro Juventino Rosas, author of the waltz "Sobre las olas"; there is even a film by the author with Pedro Infante as his interpreter. In Nicaragua, José de la Cruz Mena stood out with many compositions, being "Ruinas" the most recognized among all his works.
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