Hearts and Flowers
Encyclopedia
"Hearts and Flowers" is a song composed by Theodore Moses-Tobani (with words by Mary D. Brine) and published in 1893
.
The famous melody is taken from the introductory 2/4 section of "Wintermärchen" Waltzes Op.366 (1891) by the Hungarian composer Alphons Czibulka
.
The song as a vocal number was soon forgotten but the piece it was founded upon, re-arranged as a short instrumental, gained popularity in its own right under the same title "Hearts and Flowers" and it is in this form that it remains well known to this day.
The 2/4 melody Czibulka's "Wintermärchen" Waltzes Op.366 (1891) was also re-arranged into 3/4 time to form the first waltz in the instrumental-only "Hearts and Flowers" Waltzes by Moses-Tobani though this is now never heard.
Today the piece "Hearts and Flowers" has a connection in popular culture with having been assosciated with silent film accompaniment music. The connection is entirely a latter-day one however as silent film scores were typically assembled from music that specifically was unfamiliar to the audience so as to not distract attention from the on-screen action.
Nevertheless, the instrumental
violin
version has in the collective popular imagination come to symbolize all that is melodramatic, sentiment
al or mock-tragic. Indeed, the humming of the tune is often combined with the miming
of violin-playing to indicate mock-sympathy
at someone's misfortunes.
The term 'hearts-and-flowers' has entered the English language
with the sense "extreme sentimentality, cloying sweetness".
1893 in music
-Events:* February 9 - Premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's final opera Falstaff in La Scala in Milan*August 14-15 - America's oldest music organization, the Stoughton Musical Society performs at the World's Columbian Exposition...
.
The famous melody is taken from the introductory 2/4 section of "Wintermärchen" Waltzes Op.366 (1891) by the Hungarian composer Alphons Czibulka
Alphons Czibulka
----Alphons Czibulka, Alfons Czibulka, or Czibulka Alfonz was an Austro-Hungarian military bandmaster, composer, pianist, and conductor....
.
The song as a vocal number was soon forgotten but the piece it was founded upon, re-arranged as a short instrumental, gained popularity in its own right under the same title "Hearts and Flowers" and it is in this form that it remains well known to this day.
The 2/4 melody Czibulka's "Wintermärchen" Waltzes Op.366 (1891) was also re-arranged into 3/4 time to form the first waltz in the instrumental-only "Hearts and Flowers" Waltzes by Moses-Tobani though this is now never heard.
Today the piece "Hearts and Flowers" has a connection in popular culture with having been assosciated with silent film accompaniment music. The connection is entirely a latter-day one however as silent film scores were typically assembled from music that specifically was unfamiliar to the audience so as to not distract attention from the on-screen action.
Nevertheless, the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
version has in the collective popular imagination come to symbolize all that is melodramatic, sentiment
Sentiment
Sentiment can refer to activity of five material senses mistaking them as transcendental:*Feelings and emotions...
al or mock-tragic. Indeed, the humming of the tune is often combined with the miming
Miming
In Norse mythology, Miming was a forest-dwelling troll, the son of Hothbrod and foster son of Gevar. In a Teutonic version of the myth of the death of Balder, Miming's sword is the weapon that Hodur uses to slay Balder; here, Hodur is not blind but is instead a physically potent figure. Miming's...
of violin-playing to indicate mock-sympathy
Sympathy
Sympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. Also known as empathic concern, it is the feeling of compassion or concern for another, the wish to see them better off or happier. Although empathy and sympathy are often used...
at someone's misfortunes.
The term 'hearts-and-flowers' has entered the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with the sense "extreme sentimentality, cloying sweetness".
External links
- Sheet music at library.duke.edu (last visited 2011-01-06)
- An 1899 Berliner Grammophon recording performed by Chris de Arth