Purpose of the event:

• introduce students and their parents to the history of the development of this wonderful dance - the waltz;
• provide an opportunity to hear a waltz performed on various instruments;
• continue to introduce children to musical culture and cultivate artistic taste.

Program tasks:

• expand your horizons;
• introduce the variety of waltz music from different eras and composers;
• contribute to the education of musical culture, the culture of the listener.

Form of the event– lecture-concert.

Equipment:

• festive decoration of the stage with multi-colored scarves;
• a poster with the name of the event “Waltz about the Waltz”;
• musical instruments: button accordion, accordion, piano, violin, flute.

Progress of the event

Leading:

A lot has been said about the waltz:
He is sung in songs and poems,
And no matter how many dances happen,
A better than a waltz, really, no.

This dance is forever young, one of the most ancient and popular... Of course, there are no eternal dances. They are also born and die. But of all the dances, none has stood the test of time as long as the waltz.

In the 70s of the 16th century, waltz was a folk dance that originated in some areas of southern Germany and Austria. This is a simple folk dance that felt good in the sound of several instruments, played by 2-3 musicians from the people, wearing wide-brimmed hats and rough wooden shoes. The music is characterized by waltz accompaniment and a measured three-beat step.

Numerous varieties of folk village dances that existed in southern Germany and Austria to early XVIII century, united into one group, called Ländler or German dance. The dance gained great popularity in the second half of the 18th century in the works of composers Mozart and Schubert.

Thanks to his extraordinary fascination, he entered the aristocratic salon, where he felt great in the sound of a fragile harpsichord, played by professional musicians in silk camisoles and powdered wigs.

This dance, as natural as life itself, became popular at balls in high society salons.

Guardians of morality and adherents of etiquette could not contain their indignation. The fact that the gentleman held the lady by the waist during the dance seemed to them an unheard of liberty. They tried to ban the waltz, but it returned to high society salons.

Brought from Germany at the beginning of the 19th century, it huddled in back rooms for a long time before bursting into the leading salons.

At the French court, the waltz remained prohibited as early as 1820. Mothers preferred to take their daughters to balls, where the “convulsive embrace” of the waltz was not recognized.

Books published in the 1800s said that society, civilization, and religion were threatened by the “waltz infection” and the waltz was compared to cholera and leprosy. Conservative English society adopted the waltz a quarter of a century later than most other European countries.

The dance did not immediately appear in Russia, since Paul I, by his highest commands, tried to prevent its spread, and officers guilty of “dancing the dance called walsen” were immediately transferred from the ball to the guardhouse.

During the July Monarchy (1830 - 1848), the waltz still suffered from a bad reputation, especially since recently they began to dance it faster in two counts, medicine, rushing to the aid of morality, came to the conclusion: the circular movements of the waltz cause blood flow to the the main internal organs, heart, lungs, brain, and they often cite an incident in Baroness T.’s salon, where during a waltz a young man unexpectedly noticed that with each rotation mademoiselle was hanging heavier and heavier on his arm. Like this hard way the waltz, but at the same time it became a popular dance in all levels of European society, especially in Vienna.

The heyday of the waltz is associated with the work of the Austrian composers Lanner, Strauss’s father, and later his sons Joseph and Johann, nicknamed the “King of the Waltz.”

He dedicated his talent and skill to dance music, primarily waltz and operetta. His music is distinguished by its bright melody, temperament, and elegance.

Strauss's waltzes sparkle and sparkle, infecting the listener with genuine fun and cheerfulness.

K.N. 1 Waltz by J. Strauss “Tales of the Vienna Woods”

/piano/

Leading:

The great Polish composer F. Chopin wrote only 14 waltzes, Strauss wrote 500 of them. But Chopin's 14 waltzes priceless pearls. No one danced to the music of these waltzes; they were created only for concert performance. Later, they began to dance on the stages of ballet theaters to the music of Chopin's waltzes.

K.N. 2 F. Chopin “Waltz No. 7 in C minor”

/piano/

Leading:

Romances - waltzes - were very popular. The waltz has acquired a special place in Russian music. You know a lot of Russian ancient romances - waltzes, songs - waltzes.

I remember the waltz the sound is lovely,
Spring night in late hour,
An unknown voice sang it -
and a wonderful song flowed.
K.N. 3 N. Listov “I remember the lovely sound of the waltz.”

Leading:

You guys won’t believe it, but just half a century ago there were very few televisions, tape recorders and radios, but we had never even heard of computers, video recorders, the Internet, players and cell phones. What happened? How did you live then, how did you relax? And we lived well and had a good rest. There were record players and gramophones, radio points, libraries, cinema halls. Dancing in schools, clubs and think about it, they often danced to the accordion, button accordion, accordion - half a century ago. And even now they sometimes dance.

Indeed, dancing was one of the most accessible and favorite entertainments, a way of leisure for all ages. No wonder they wrote in club posters: “Cinema, after the movie dancing!” - which turned out to be the highlight of the club program. They danced in the courtyards, at home and at school parties.

K.N. 4 “Figured Waltz”

/choreography/

Already in Soviet time the waltz stepped from secular drawing rooms into the masses.

On a pre-war summer evening, from the parks of culture and recreation, dance floors, the sounds of brass bands were heard playing the waltzes of Dunaevsky, the Pokrass brothers, and beautiful old waltzes.

Here it is spinning, here it has arisen,
Black water slightly shining disk
Spin, spin, waltz over the water,
It's quiet all around, the hills are covered in darkness.
It's above a flock of quiet winds
He stood up Ilya Alekseich Shatrov
An officer half-forgotten by people
A waltz composed in the old manner.
Orchestral brass will sound,
A tenor will sing in the city garden.
And not holding back in front of everyone
The boy suddenly starts crying in the third row.

K.N. 5 I. Shatrova “On the hills of Manchuria”

Leading:

The war went through the lives of many people. But even in this difficult time, composers wrote their lyrical songs, thus giving the soldier the opportunity to communicate with loved ones, express his innermost thoughts, express them to his girlfriend, fiancee, wife, who were somewhere far away, far away, in the distant rear.

K.N. 6 Music by D. Tukhmanov, lyrics by V. Kharitonov

“School Waltz”

Leading:

There are waltzes written for orchestra, piano, violin, there are romances and arias from operas written in waltz rhythm. Waltz traditions were developed in the works of Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian and they were not written in the traditional waltz form.

K.N. 6 D. Shostakovich “Waltz is a Joke”,

Leading:

Jazz is one of the trends in music.

Jazz influence has affected almost all leading genres of music. A feature of jazz is the conflict of rhythms, which later became the basis for the specificity of jazz. During the “jazz era,” some dances that were not directly related to jazz were jazzed. This especially affected tango, waltz, waltz - Boston. Both tango and waltz have firmly entered the repertoire of jazz groups.

K.N. 7 Y. Vesnyak “Jazz - Waltz”

/piano/

Leading:

Having reached the present day, the waltz has acquired the following features: breadth and dynamism, extraordinary smoothness and lightness.

Evgeniy Doga is a wonderful composer who wrote a lot of music for films. One of the best and most beloved waltz for the movie “My Affectionate and Gentle Beast.”

K.N. 8 E. Doga “Waltz”

/trio of violinists/

Leading:

A light, colorful, brilliant waltz sounds in the film “Blizzard” based on Pushkin’s story of the same name, the music for which was written by one of the best Soviet composers Georgy Sviridov.

K.N. 9 G. Sviridov “Waltz - Blizzard”

/violin ensemble/

Leading:

And will complete our concert program waltz by modern composer E. Doga, performed by a duet of accordionists. The accordion is very popular in France, its “flowing” sound is filled with a peculiar charm. And now we will take a walk along the Parisian boulevards.

K.N. 10 E.Doga “Paris Cascade”

/accordion duo/

Leading:

Years go by, but the waltz is still fresh, it is beautiful, as in the days of its youth. He is a welcome guest dance evenings. Composers' interest in him never wanes. It is safe to say that the waltz is immortal. Like the fabulous Phoenix, he will be reborn again and again.

Bibliography.

1. Tarasov, V. In the world of waltz / V. Tarasov. - M.: Melodiya, 1989

2. Bulychevsky, Yu.S., A short musical dictionary for students

3. [Text] / Yu. Bulychevsky, V. Fomin, -8th ed. - L.: Music, 1986. – 216 p. /Musical encyclopedic dictionary /Ch. ed. G.V.Keldysh. M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1990. – 672 pp.: ill.

4. Frumkin, V.A. Let's talk about music: An entertaining dictionary for a schoolchild [Text] / V.A. Frumkin. – 2nd ed., add. – L.: Music, 1968. – 224 p.

5. About ballroom dance: A little history [Text] //Youth Variety, 2004.- No. 3-4. – p.3-7.//

6. Oh, this waltz! [Text]: waltz, waltz - boston, slow waltz, figure waltz. //Youth variety p.26 – 110.//

I really liked it!

A lot has been said about the waltz,
He is sung in songs and poems.
And no matter how many dances happen,
There really is nothing better than a waltz!
A waltz is still a waltz!

- Waltz! Is there a more amazing dance? A dance whose charm has captivated the whole world for two centuries. He still reigns today. Perhaps it is danced less often - the waltz requires a large area and scope, but it sounds constantly.
The waltz is everywhere: in “serious” and “light” music, in opera and operetta, in symphonies, instrumental piece, in ballet and in song.
Smooth dancing with spinning, similar to a waltz, existed for a very long time and among different nations. By the way, the word “waltz” itself comes from the German “weller”, “walzen” - to twist, roll out.
The French had the volta as such a dance, the Poles had the kujawiak, the Germans had the slow dleser, and the Austrians had the ländler.
Most often, the ancestor of the waltz is called the Ländler, because it was from him that the famous Viennese waltz originated. Of course, the “ancestors” were significantly different from their “descendants”. They possessed neither his easy swiftness nor his smooth gliding step. They were danced more roughly, with jumps, and the partners were lifted high above the ground and twirled in the air.
The development of the waltz took place especially intensively in Vienna. The heyday of the Viennese waltz is associated with the work of Johann Strauss the father, and later his sons: Joseph and, in particular, Johann, nicknamed the “King of the Waltz.” The most famous of his 477 waltzes are “The Beautiful Blue Danube”, “Tales of the Vienna Woods”, “Vienna Voices”.
The waltzes of Johann Strauss the father sounded in Austrian capital everywhere. And the waltzes of Johann Strauss the Son conquered not only Europe, but the whole world. Poetic, graceful, with charming, free-flowing melodies, they captivated the ear. Waltzes sounded in the operettas of J. Strauss “ Bat", "Gypsy Baron".
Operetta is a new concept that appeared in France in the 19th century. theatrical genre, where the first of the dances, along with the cancan, was the waltz. He sounded in the world-famous operettas “Silva”, “La Bayadère”, “Circus Princess”, the author of which was the famous Viennese composer Imre Kalman.

– Starting with Weber’s “Invitation to the Dance,” the waltz came into the sphere symphonic music. A magnificent image of such a symphonic waltz was “Waltz-Fantasy” by M. Glinka. Piano waltzes were performed at the concerts: “Mephistowaltz” by F. Liszt, “Sentimental Waltz” by P. I. Tchaikovsky.

I probably wouldn't remember you
But at Tchaikovsky's that Sunday morning
In the estate under “Sentimental Waltz”
The spring snow swirled shyly.

Listening to the waltz, away from everyone,
I thought, wandering the empty alley:
He is similar to you, this spring snow,
That he dare not touch the branches with tenderness.

And again the cold came from somewhere,
And sadness that the spring time has flown by...
Ah, this waltz, sentimental waltz,
Thoughtful, white all over with snowflakes.

I. Volobuev

– Numerous magnificent Chopin waltzes – sometimes brilliantly bravura, sometimes tender and dreamy, sounded in concerts. The Polish composer did not write them for dancing at all. These are charming concert pieces.

A poem by L. Ozerov about Chopin's Waltz No. 7:

It still rings in my ears
The seventh waltz has a light step.
Like a spring breeze
Like the flutter of bird wings,
Like the world I've discovered
In a tangle of musical lines.
That waltz still sounds in me,
Like a cloud in blue,
Like a spring in the grass.
Like a dream that I see in reality,
Like the news that I live
In kinship with nature.

– This famous Seventh Waltz – gentle, bright, full of sadness – is considered the waltz of Maria Wodzinska, Chopin’s bride. Her parents prevented their marriage.
Composers have created outstanding examples of waltzes different countries: Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, Lehar, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov and others.
F. Schubert improvised his waltzes during the dances. The traditions of Schubert were continued by Robert Schumann (“Butterflies”, “Carnival” for piano) and Johannes Brahms (16 waltzes for piano 4 and 2 hands, “Waltzes of Love” and “New Waltzes of Love” for vocal quartet, as well as for piano 4 hands).
The waltzes of F. Chopin and F. Liszt approach the poetic genres of romantic music, combining poetic expressiveness with elegance, brilliance, and virtuosity.
Waltzes are heard in the symphonies of Berlioz - “Symphony Fantastique”, P.I. Tchaikovsky - “Fifth Symphony”.
Waltzes are heard in the operas of C. Gounod - “Faust”, P.I. Tchaikovsky - “Eugene Onegin”, D. Verdi - “La Traviata”, D. Puccini - “La Bohème”.
The waltz also conquered Russia. Waltz songs arranged by V.V. Andreev for an orchestra of folk instruments became popular here.

The shine of chandeliers and the ripple of mirrors
Merged into one crystal mirage.
And the ballroom wind blows,
The warmth of the fragrant fans.
Andreev is strict, like fashionable Strauss,
He introduced a tune into the motives of the waltz,
An old song, without pauses,
Captivating the capital's maidens.

– Many Russian romances are written in the rhythm of a waltz... Waltz romance is a special salon genre, a dance of lovers, a prelude of feelings and anticipation of passion.

Romance “The Night is Bright” (Lyrics by M. Yazykov, music by A. Shishkin):
The night is bright, over the river
The moon is shining quietly.
And shines with silver
Blue water.

The dark forest is silent there
Emerald branches.
Of their sonorous songs
The nightingale does not sing.

Dear friend, tender friend,
I love you as before,
On this moonlit night
Remember you.

On this moonlit night,
On the other side
Dear friend, tender friend,
Remember about me.

Bloomed under the moon
Blue flowers.
This color is blue
Gives dreams to the heart.

I'm flying to you in a dream.
I whisper your name.
By moonlight, in silence
I'm sad with flowers.

– Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote many waltzes. There are waltzes in the 5th and 6th symphonies, in the opera “Eugene Onegin”, in the ballets “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker”, there is a waltz in “Serenade for string orchestra" Famous for “Sentimental Waltz”; in the piano cycle “Seasons”, “April. Snowdrop" and "December. Christmas time.” Finally, the romance “Among the Noisy Ball” to the words of A. Tolstoy is also a waltz!

Like light droplets or snowflakes
They begin to magically master silence...
Leisurely
Glinka's melody grows -
And the bottomless height above me becomes clear.
Evil is pushed aside
Inertia is forgotten,
And sadness reigns in the violin’s hearts.
Captivating, the whole world is warmed by Tchaikovsky,
And, like a ray, kindness extends into the distance.

(U. Kumisbaev)

– Opera “Eugene Onegin”... Ball in the Larins’ house. Celebrating Tatiana's name day. The mothers are gossiping, the fathers of the families are remembering the recent hunt...

Suddenly, from behind the door in the long hall
The bassoon and flute sounded.
…………………………….

And everyone poured into the hall.
And the ball shines in all its glory.
……………………………….

Monotonous and crazy
Like a young whirlwind of life,
A noisy whirlwind swirls around the waltz,
Couple flashes after couple...

(A.S. Pushkin. “Eugene Onegin”)

– S.S. Prokofiev “War and Peace”... A ball at a high society nobleman. Young girl in pink dress... With a beating heart she waits: will no one really ask her to dance? “Waltz, waltz!” - the manager’s voice is heard. Not immediately, as if a gentle melody appears from afar. The first happy waltz of Natasha Rostova sounds.

– Everyone knows Prokofiev’s “Pushkin Waltzes” and Khachaturian’s dramatic waltz to Lermontov’s drama “Masquerade”. Beautiful waltz from musical illustrations to the story “Blizzard” by A. S. Pushkin by Georgy Sviridov.

– “When the guns speak, the muses are silent” - this saying has been known for a long time. But we also know the words of V. Mayakovsky: “Both the song and the verse are a bomb and a banner.” The songs of the war years are varied: marching marches and majestic hymns, ballads and satirical ditties. But there is special topic- lyrical waltz. During the Great Patriotic War The waltz song “Blue Handkerchief” was very popular. Matvey Blanter also used a waltz composition in one of his best war songs, “In the Forest at the Front.” Another popular one among the military lyrical song– “Random Waltz” by Mark Fradkin, which was often called “Officer’s Waltz” at the front. Each of these waltzes has its own story.

– And how many magnificent waltzes sounded in old movies!
Isak Dunaevsky “Moonlight Waltz” (film “Circus”), Tikhon Khrennikov “Good in the Moscow Expanses” ((film “Pig Farm and the Shepherd”) and many others.

“White Dance” - a song from the film “This funny planet" Sl. I. Shaferan, music. D. Tukhmanova.

The music is heard again
The pianist stood up and called the dance.
And in front of everyone
I am now coming to you across the hall.
I want to invite you to dance,
And only you,
And it is no coincidence that this dance is a waltz.
Will spin like a whirlwind White dance,
Oh, and the white dance will serve,
If the white dance makes us friends.
The waltz floats over the earth,
Kind as a friend and white as snow,
Maybe this waltz
We have to remember forever.
I want to invite you to dance...

– Many wonderful songs are written in the rhythm of the waltz: “A waltz is still a waltz”, “A brass band is playing in the city garden”, “School waltz”, “ Raspberry ringing" and others. Our people love waltzes. This tradition dates back to ancient times, when military men played in city gardens and parks in the summer. brass bands, performed by ancient waltzes: “On the hills of Manchuria”, “Autumn Dream”, “Danube Waves”, “Amur Waves”, “Birch” and others.

How pleasant it was to listen, sitting a little further away on a bench or walking along the alleys of the garden, to this wonderful music, evoking peace, slight sadness and a lyrical mood.

Waltzes, waltzes - you are my torment, -
I'm ready to listen endlessly
Soulful compositions
Kapellmeisters of Russian regiments.

(N. Ushakov)

- What in our time? Of course, the waltz continues its victory tour. He acquired many professions: “Collective Farm Waltz” by P. Mayboroda, “Miner’s Waltz” by I. O. Dunaevsky, waltzes of pilots and sailors. He registered in the most unexpected places: “Siberian Waltz” by T. Nosov, “Kiev Waltz” by P. Mayboroda, “Waltz of the Garden Ring” by E. Ptichkin.

– School graduation party... What complex feelings are possessed by boys and girls this evening! It’s sad to part with your beloved school, where you have experienced so much, where your friends, teachers are... They sing and dance a lot at the prom, but the last school waltz is undoubtedly the most exciting and touching moment this wonderful event.

This waltz
This waltz
This waltz...
This slow, smooth flight...
For her,
For him
And for you
A waltz floats over our school...

– We can say with confidence: the waltz is immortal! Like the fabulous Phoenix, he will be reborn again and again, always beautiful and young, like life itself.
Listen: a beautiful melody is sad, sings, laughs, spins and flies over the world magic dance. The waltz continues!

We continue to infuse small doses of facts into the broad horizons of our readers. Today we will talk about dancing.

(Total 10 photos)

1. They say that if you have never danced bachata, then you have not danced at all. The main goal in this dance is the closest contact between partners. There are few turns in the dance, but side passages and “throwing” the lady from side to side are often used. They say that you need to see it at least once, or better yet, try it.

2. Salsa is almost a complete improvisation of the partner. The partner is only required to obediently follow her man and have fun. According to legend, Casino salsa began to be danced after the Cuban revolution in gambling establishments closed by the authorities.

3. Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx, New York in the 1980s. TO musical direction Hip-hop includes rap, funk and beatbox, fine art includes graffiti, and dance includes breakdancing, krump, C-Walk and waving.

4. Tango spread from African communities in Buenos Aires. The word "tango" comes from the Ibibio language of Nigeria, where it meant dancing to the sound of a drum. Initially, tango was danced only by men seeking the attention of women.

5. Reggaeton originated in Panama and Puerto Rico. To perform it you need to be in good physical shape. For some, reggaeton resembles the courtship behavior of certain animal species.

6. The cha-cha-cha dance, which was popular in many Soviet schools, is called the “coquette dance” because it is characterized primarily by expressive movements of the hips.

7. The basic movement of the merengue dance resembles a limping gait. The main highlight of the dance is the presence of light erotic movements. You can learn to dance merengue right on the dance floor.

8. Belly dancing was brought to the Middle East from India by the Ghawazi gypsies around the 10th century. Now there are more than 50 styles of oriental dance.

9. In order to get to the famous Viennese Christmas ball or the ball of the noble assembly, you must be able to dance the waltz. Knowledge is confirmed at special rehearsals.

10. Barn dancing - dancing in a barn - has never gone out of fashion in the USA. You can get a visual idea of ​​what Barn dancing is, at least from the video of the group Rednex Cotton Eye Joe.

Publications in the Music section

Waltz in Russian culture

“I remember the waltz’s lovely sound” - with these words, in the minds of a Russian person, regardless of his age, as well as educational and cultural level, a certain generalized image arises, which can be conditionally called the “Russian waltz”. Moreover, this very “Russian waltz” is not at all a Viennese waltz in the style of the Strauss father and son, not a Parisian one - with the constant accordion and cracked baritone of French chansonniers, and not the exquisite waltz of Chopin. “Russian Waltz” is a completely different phenomenon, in many ways even more literary than musical.

Romance “I remember the lovely sound of the waltz” performed by Elena Obraztsova

Well-mannered obscenity

The ability to dance the waltz today seems to be a sign of aristocracy, but just two centuries ago this dance was considered completely indecent. In Russia, the waltz was strictly prohibited, which was confirmed by the order of Paul I to the military governor of St. Petersburg Alexei Arakcheev on December 1, 1797. Along with the waltz, the emperor also prohibited other “indecent phenomena”: the wearing of sideburns, tailcoats and “boots, called boots.” In prim Britain before mid-19th century, a dance in which partners approached each other very closely was condemned by both the official press and the clergy. So even Queen Victoria, who was reigning at that time, did not advertise that she actually loved to waltz. In 1834, the waltz was danced publicly for the first time in the USA, in Boston, and outraged public figures called the dance "indecent and violative of all decency".

The waltz has been mentioned in many literary works. works of the XIX centuries: in “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin, in “Masquerade” by Mikhail Lermontov. In "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy “distinct, careful and fascinatingly measured sounds of the waltz” sounded during Natasha Rostova's first ball - in the presence of the Emperor! By 1869, when Tolstoy finished the novel, aristocrats had become somewhat accustomed to the waltz and began to treat it more tolerantly. A great contribution to the popularization of this dance was made by Johann Strauss the Younger, who for five seasons - from 1856 to 1861 - conducted, at the Imperial invitation, concerts and balls at the station of the city of Pavlovsk near St. Petersburg and often gave waltzes. It is interesting that the brilliant and carefree waltzes of Strauss, despite the fact that many of them were written in Russia, in spirit have nothing to do with truly Russian waltzes.

Johann Strauss. Waltz "On the Beautiful Blue Danube"

The first Russian waltzes

The history of the Russian waltz began with Alexander Griboyedov - a brilliant diplomat and author classic comedy"Woe from Wit". Griboedov also wrote music, and one of his most famous works was just Waltz No. 2 in E minor, composed by the writer in 1824 - simple, but soulful and soulful.

Alexander Griboyedov. Waltz No. 2 in E minor

The first "real" Russian waltz was the Waltz-Fantasy by Mikhail Glinka (piano version from 1839). It was he who became the model for most domestic “literary” waltzes.

Mikhail Glinka. Waltz Fantasy (orchestral version)

Surprisingly similar to Waltz-Fantasy in its nostalgic character and minor mood are Aram Khachaturian’s waltz from the music for Lermontov’s drama “Masquerade”, and Georgy Sviridov’s waltz from musical illustrations for Pushkin’s story “The Snowstorm”, and Sergei Prokofiev’s waltz from the opera “War and Peace” - and many other waltzes from film adaptations and productions of Russian classics.

Sergei Prokofiev. Pushkin Waltz No. 2

The only thing that stands apart in this row is Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from the opera “Eugene Onegin” - luxurious, joyful, brilliant. But for Tchaikovsky, the waltz was much more than just a dance form - one of his favorite genres, in which the composer most often expressed his innermost feelings.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Waltz from the opera "Eugene Onegin"

Memories of a Waltz

The so-called “ancient Russian waltzes”, widely published in Soviet times - in fact, written mainly at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries - also contribute to a nostalgic-literary attitude towards the waltz. These include “Amur Waves” (1903) by the Russified German Max Kuess, “Above the Waves” (1884) by the Mexican Juventin Rosas, the famous “Autumn Dream” (1908) by the Englishman Archibald Joyce, which later became a “character” famous song Matvey Blanter “In the forest near the front” (1943), and many others.

Max Kyuss. Waltz "Amur Waves"

Matvey Blanter. "In the forest near the front"

In the first decades of Soviet power, 1920–30s, the waltz took a strong position on the “ideologically correct” dance floor as “our answer” to American jazz, which was actively conquering the world at that time. And for many Soviet people(including for professional musicians) the very word “jazz” generally meant all the music that was played at dances, so the waltz was invariably included in the repertoire of pop-jazz orchestras. It is interesting that the composers who composed music for these orchestras, of all the varieties of waltz, took as a basis the minor-lyrical, Russian version, completely in the spirit of those very “old waltzes”.

Dmitry Shostakovich. Waltz from Jazz Suite No. 2

The waltz has been part of the culture of Russian officers for more than a century; the ability to dance the waltz is still taught at the Suvorov and Nakhimov schools. And during the Great Patriotic War, the waltz, along with the tango, became one of the iconic dances short periods calm between battles. New waltzes, performed with words like songs, but written in the same slightly sad, nostalgic key, gained popularity - “The Blue Handkerchief” (1940) by Jerzy Petersburg, “Ogonyok” (1943) by Matvey Blanter and others.

Jerzy Petersburg. “Blue Handkerchief” performed by Klavdiya Shulzhenko

Waltz is alive

Nowadays, those who seriously study the waltz have a slightly different attitude towards the waltz. ballroom dancing, for whom waltz is a hobby or even part of a profession. After all, this dance, despite the nostalgic flair, is part of modern program sports competitions on dancing. The literary and general cultural component for sports dancers, as a rule, is not as important as the number of bars or the tempo and genre of the waltz being performed - slow, derived from the ancient Boston waltz, and fast, also called Viennese.

Mass dance competitions. Viennese Waltz

Dance teachers early XIX centuries were at one time very dissatisfied with the appearance and rapid spread of the waltz, since, unlike the many diverse and rather intricate dances that existed in that era, it was possible to master the waltz movements in just a couple of lessons. I wonder what they would say about modern discos, where there are only two dances left (slow and fast) and you can dance them without any rules at all.