Waltz (music)
Encyclopedia
A waltz, or valse from the French term, is a piece of music in triple meter, most often written in time signature but sometimes in 3/8 or 3/2. Waltzes typically have one chord
per measure
, and the accompaniment style particularly associated with the waltz is (as seen in the example to the right) to play the root
of the chord on the first beat, the upper notes on the second and third beats. This is known as an "oom-pa-pa" beat.
and also in classical music. Although waltzes are often associated with the dance of the same name
, not all waltzes were composed as dances: some were written for concert performance.
Classical composers traditionally supplied music for dancing when required, and Franz Schubert
's waltzes were written for household dancing, without any pretense at being art music. However, Frédéric Chopin
's surviving 18 waltzes
(five he wrote as a child), along with his mazurka
s and polonaise
s, were clearly not intended to be danced to. They marked the adoption of the waltz and other dance forms as serious composition genres. Other notable contributions to the waltz genre in classical music include 16 by Johannes Brahms
(originally for piano
duet), and Maurice Ravel
's Valses nobles et sentimentales
for piano and La valse
for orchestra.
The waltz had once held so much importance in European music circles that great waltz composers received the honorary title of “Waltz King”. The title came with an accompanying “royal staff”, a decorated silver baton which was passed from musician to musician. Johann Strauss Jr.
, the most famous “Waltz King”, received the title frequently.
Waltzes can also be found as part of larger works:
From the last decade of the 19th century, "After the Ball
"
From the first decades of the 20th century, "Beautiful Ohio
", "Fascination", "I'm Falling in Love with Someone", "Kiss Me Again
", "When I Lost You
".
From the 1920s: "The Anniversary Waltz
", "Are You Lonesome Tonight
", "Always", "Remember
", "What'll I Do
", "All Alone
", "The Song Is Ended
", "Russian Lullaby", "Marie", "Together
", "Lover", "Charmaine
".
From the 1930s: "Falling in Love with Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", "Reaching for the Moon
", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "The Touch of Your Hand", "Wait Till You See Her", "When I Grow Too Old to Dream
", "The Whistling Waltz".
From the 1940s: "Goodnight, Irene
", "You Always Hurt the One You Love
", "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'", "Out of My Dreams", "Californ-i-ay", "Hello, Young Lovers", "The Carousel Waltz", "The Girl That I Marry
", "The Girl Next Door
", "Cruising Down the River
", "Tenderly
", "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk", "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World", "You're Breaking My Heart
". "This Nearly Was Mine", "A Wonderful Guy".
From the 1950s: "The Tennessee Waltz
", "If
", "I Went To Your Wedding
", "Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
", "True Love
", "Allegheny Moon", "Rock and Roll Waltz
", "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", "Tammy
", "Around the World
", "The Chipmunk Song
", "El Paso
", "Edelweiss
", "My Favorite Things
".
From the 1960s: "Moon River
", "Charade", "Dear Heart", "Somewhere, My Love
(Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago)", "The Sweetheart Tree", "What the World Needs Now Is Love
", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
", "Time to Get Alone
", "Friends
", "The Last Waltz", "Jean
", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"(middle part), "When a Man Loves a Woman
".
From the 1970s: "Time in a Bottle
", "Piano Man
", "Annie's Song
", "When I Need You", "If You Don't Know Me By Now
", "Three Times a Lady
", "Take It to the Limit", The Godfather Waltz,
"Watching the River Run" by Jim Messina, "My Sweet and Tender Beast" by Eugen Doga
, "Millionaire's Waltz" by Queen
From the 1980s: "Friends and Lovers (Both to Each Other)", "At This Moment
".
Among popular composers, it seems they either wrote a lot of waltzes or almost none. Irving Berlin
was known for his many waltzes, including "When I Lost You
", "Always", "Remember
", "What'll I Do
", "All Alone
", "The Song Is Ended
", "Russian Lullaby", "Marie", "Reaching for the Moon", "The Girl That I Marry
", "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk", "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You", and "Let's Go Back to the Waltz". Similarly, Richard Rodgers
wrote many waltzes, including "Lover", "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "Out of My Dreams", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Falling in Love with Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", "Wait Till You See Her" "This Nearly Was Mine", "A Wonderful Guy", "Hello, Young Lovers", and "The Carousel Waltz". Henry Mancini
included many waltzes among his popular songs: "Moon River", "Charade", "Dear Heart", "The Sweetheart Tree", and "Whistling Away the Dark". In contrast, Jerome Kern
, George Gershwin
and Cole Porter
wrote only a small number of waltzes each. Stephen Sondheim
often uses the waltz in his music, particularly in A Little Night Music
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
per measure
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
, and the accompaniment style particularly associated with the waltz is (as seen in the example to the right) to play the root
Root (chord)
In music theory, the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a triadic chord is built. For example, the root of the major triad C-E-G is C....
of the chord on the first beat, the upper notes on the second and third beats. This is known as an "oom-pa-pa" beat.
History
The waltz style is found in nearly every kind of European and Euro-American folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and also in classical music. Although waltzes are often associated with the dance of the same name
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
, not all waltzes were composed as dances: some were written for concert performance.
Classical composers traditionally supplied music for dancing when required, and Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's waltzes were written for household dancing, without any pretense at being art music. However, Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
's surviving 18 waltzes
Waltzes (Chopin)
Frédéric Chopin’s Waltzes are pieces of moderate length adhering to the traditional 3/4 waltz time, but are remarkably different from the earlier Viennese waltzes in that they were not designed for dancing but for concert performance. Some of them are accessible by pianists of moderate...
(five he wrote as a child), along with his mazurka
Mazurkas (Chopin)
Over the years 1825-1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 69 mazurkas, based on the traditional Polish dance :* 58 have been published** 45 during Chopin's lifetime, of which 41 have opus numbers...
s and polonaise
Polonaises (Chopin)
Most of Frédéric Chopin's polonaises were written for solo piano. He wrote his first polonaise in 1817, when he was 7; his last was the Polonaise-Fantaisie of 1846, three years before his death. Among the best known polonaises are the "Military" Polonaise in A, Op. 40, No. 1, and the "Heroic" or...
s, were clearly not intended to be danced to. They marked the adoption of the waltz and other dance forms as serious composition genres. Other notable contributions to the waltz genre in classical music include 16 by Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
(originally for piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
duet), and Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Valses nobles et sentimentales
Valses nobles et sentimentales (Ravel)
The Valses nobles et sentimentales is a suite of waltzes composed by Maurice Ravel. The piano version was published in 1911, and an orchestral version was published in 1912. The suite contains an eclectic blend of Impressionist and Modernist music, which is especially evident in the orchestrated...
for piano and La valse
La Valse
La valse, un poème choréographique pour orchestre , is a work written by Maurice Ravel from February 1919 until 1920 ; it was conceived as a ballet but is now more often heard as a concert work...
for orchestra.
The waltz had once held so much importance in European music circles that great waltz composers received the honorary title of “Waltz King”. The title came with an accompanying “royal staff”, a decorated silver baton which was passed from musician to musician. Johann Strauss Jr.
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, the most famous “Waltz King”, received the title frequently.
Classical waltzes
Many classical composers have written waltzes, including:- Franz SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
wrote about a hundred waltzes for piano, including the Valses Sentimentales and Valses Nobles - Carl Maria von WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
's Invitation to the DanceInvitation to the Dance (Weber)Invitation to the Dance , Op. 65, J. 260, is a piano piece in rondo form written by Carl Maria von Weber in 1819. It is also well known in the 1841 orchestration by Hector Berlioz...
(sometimes erroneously called Invitation to the Waltz) - The Strauss family—notably Johann Strauss SeniorJohann Strauss IJohann Strauss I , born in Vienna, was an Austrian Romantic composer famous for his waltzes, and for popularizing them alongside Joseph Lanner, thereby setting the foundations for his sons to carry on his musical dynasty...
and JuniorJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, the latter being composer of the famous The Blue DanubeThe Blue DanubeThe Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
, were perhaps the most famous of all waltz composers. JosephJosef StraussJosef Strauss was an Austrian composer.He was born in Vienna, the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim, and brother of Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss. His father wanted him to choose a career in the Austrian Habsburg military...
and Eduard StraussEduard StraussEduard Strauss was an Austrian composer who, together with brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. The family dominated the Viennese light music world for decades, creating many waltzes and polkas for many Austrian nobility as well as dance-music...
also wrote many waltzes. - Joseph Lanner composed many VienneseViennese WaltzViennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called...
-style waltzes. - Anton DiabelliAnton DiabelliAnton Diabelli was an Austrian music publisher, editor and composer of Italian descent. Best known in his time as a publisher, he is most familiar today as the composer of the waltz on which Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his set of thirty-three Diabelli Variations.-Early life:Diabelli was born in...
composed a simple waltz upon which Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
built his Diabelli VariationsDiabelli VariationsThe 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120, commonly known as the Diabelli Variations, is a set of variations for the piano written between 1819 and 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli... - Frédéric ChopinFrédéric ChopinFrédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
's waltzesWaltzes (Chopin)Frédéric Chopin’s Waltzes are pieces of moderate length adhering to the traditional 3/4 waltz time, but are remarkably different from the earlier Viennese waltzes in that they were not designed for dancing but for concert performance. Some of them are accessible by pianists of moderate...
for the pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
are well known, among them the “Minute WaltzMinute WaltzThe Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, popularly known as the Minute Waltz, and also Valse du petit chien, is a waltz for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin. It is dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka.-History:...
”. - Francisco TárregaFrancisco TárregaFrancisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea was an influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period.-Biography:Tárrega was born on 21 November 1852, in Vila-real, Castelló, Spain...
's Gran Valse - Jean SibeliusJean SibeliusJean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
's orchestral Valse tristeValse triste (Sibelius)Valse triste , Op. 44, No. 1, is a short orchestral work in waltz form by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was originally part of the incidental music he composed for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt's 1903 play Kuolema , but is far better known as a separate concert piece.Sibelius wrote...
is an unusually slow, even morbid example of a waltz for full orchestra. - Alexander GlazunovAlexander GlazunovAlexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
wrote a pair of orchestral Concert Waltzes, and some waltzes for piano solo. - Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Valses nobles et sentimentalesValses nobles et sentimentales (Ravel)The Valses nobles et sentimentales is a suite of waltzes composed by Maurice Ravel. The piano version was published in 1911, and an orchestral version was published in 1912. The suite contains an eclectic blend of Impressionist and Modernist music, which is especially evident in the orchestrated...
(originally for piano, but arranged by Ravel for orchestra) and orchestral La valseLa ValseLa valse, un poème choréographique pour orchestre , is a work written by Maurice Ravel from February 1919 until 1920 ; it was conceived as a ballet but is now more often heard as a concert work...
are well known. - Ion IvanoviciIon IvanoviciIon Ivanovici was a Romanian military band leader and composer, best remembered today for his waltz Waves of the Danube....
wrote the famous waltz Waves of the DanubeWaves of the Danube"Waves of the Danube" is a waltz composed by Iosif Ivanovici in 1880, and is one of the most famous Romanian tunes in the world. In the United States, it is frequently referred to as "The Anniversary Song", a title given by Al Jolson when he and Saul Chaplin released an adaptation of the song in... - ImpressionisticImpressionismImpressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
composer Claude DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
's Valse Romantique is an example of a post-Romantic waltz though, as characterised by this period of music, the work contains so many rhythmic changes and rubato that it is barely considered a waltz. - George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
composed four waltzes for his score to Shall We Dance (1937). - Many other 20th-century composers have composed waltzes, including Sergei ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
, Dmitri ShostakovichDmitri ShostakovichDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
and Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
.
Waltzes can also be found as part of larger works:
- Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
's Fifth SymphonySymphony No. 5 (Tchaikovsky)The Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was composed between May and August 1888 and was first performed in St Petersburg at the Hall of Nobility on November 6 of that year with Tchaikovsky conducting. It is dedicated to Theodore Avé-Lallemant.-Structure:A typical...
shows an example of a waltz standing in for the more usual minuetMinuetA minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
or scherzoScherzoA scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
. - Tchaikovsky's balletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s Swan LakeSwan LakeSwan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
, The Sleeping Beauty and The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
all contain waltzes, as do Prokofiev's CinderellaCinderella (Prokofiev)Cinderella is a ballet, Op. 87, composed by Sergei Prokofiev to a scenario by Nikolai Volkov. It is one of his most popular and melodious compositions, and has inspired a great many choreographers since its inception. The piece was composed between 1940 and 1944. Part way through writing it he...
and Glazunov's ballets RaymondaRaymondaRaymonda is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa, with music by Alexander Glazunov, his opus 57. First presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on in St. Petersburg, Russia...
and The SeasonsThe Seasons (ballet)The Seasons is an allegorical ballet in one act, four scenes, by the choreographer Marius Petipa, with music by Alexander Glazunov, his Op. 67. The work was composed in 1899, and was first performed by the Imperial Ballet in 1900 in St... - OperaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s containing waltzes include Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's La traviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
with "Libiamo ne' lieti caliciLibiamo ne' lieti caliciLibiamo ne'lieti calici is the most famous duet from Verdi's La traviata, one of the most well known fragments of opera around the world, and an obligatory performance for any great tenor. The song is categorised as a Brindisi, which encourages alcoholic drinking...
", sung by Alfredo and Violetta in act 1, Franz LehárFranz LehárFranz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
's The Merry WidowThe Merry WidowThe Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
, Richard StraussRichard StraussRichard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Der RosenkavalierDer RosenkavalierDer Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
, Tchaikovsky's Eugene OneginEugene Onegin (opera)Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin....
, Prokofiev's War and PeaceWar and Peace (Prokofiev)War and Peace is an opera in two parts , sometimes arranged as five acts, by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer and Mira Mendelson, based on the novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy...
, and Charles GounodCharles GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's FaustFaust (opera)Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
. - In George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's Variations on "I Got Rhythm" for piano and orchestra, the first variation heard is a waltz. - The first movement of Aram KhachaturianAram KhachaturianAram Ilyich Khachaturian was a prominent Soviet composer. Khachaturian's works were often influenced by classical Russian music and Armenian folk music...
's Masquerade SuiteMasquerade SuiteThe Masquerade suite is an orchestral work by the Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, composed in 1944, based on his incidental music to Mikhail Lermontov's play Masquerade.-Notes and references:...
is a waltz. - Dmitri Shostakovich wrote several waltzes for his jazz suites, most notably Waltz No. 2 in D minor.
Popular song waltzes
The waltz was a familiar format in popular songs until the 1970s. Some waltzes which are well-known popular hits include:From the last decade of the 19th century, "After the Ball
After the Ball
After the Ball may refer to:*After the Ball , a popular 1891 song by Charles K. Harris*After the Ball , a 1954 musical by Noel Coward loosely based on Lady Windermere's Fan*After the Ball , a 1956 Woody Woodpecker cartoon...
"
From the first decades of the 20th century, "Beautiful Ohio
Beautiful Ohio
"Beautiful Ohio" is the official song of the U.S. State of Ohio.-History:The first lyrics were written by Ballard MacDonald and the music by Robert A. "Bobo" King, who used the name Mary Earl...
", "Fascination", "I'm Falling in Love with Someone", "Kiss Me Again
Mlle. Modiste
Mlle. Modiste is an operetta in two acts written by Victor Herbert, libretto by Henry Blossom. It concerns hat shop girl Fifi, who longs to be an opera singer, but who is such a good hat seller that her employer, Mme. Cecil discourages her in her ambitions and exploits her commercial talents...
", "When I Lost You
When I Lost You
"When I Lost You" is a song with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin written in 1912 after his wife of five months, the former Dorothy Goetz, died of typhoid fever. In it he poured out the grief of his loss, the only song that he ever admitted had such a connection to his own life...
".
From the 1920s: "The Anniversary Waltz
The Anniversary Waltz
The Anniversary Waltz is a popular song written by Dave Franklin, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1941. It has been covered by Vera Lynn and Connie Francis....
", "Are You Lonesome Tonight
Are You Lonesome Tonight? (song)
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a popular song with music by Lou Handman and lyrics by Roy Turk. It was written in 1926, first published in 1927 and most notably revived by Elvis Presley in 1960 ....
", "Always", "Remember
Remember (1925 song)
"Remember" is a popular song by Irving Berlin, published in 1925. The song is a popular standard, recorded by numerous artists.In the lyric, Berlin uses an interesting poetic technique by extending the sound of the word "forgot" into "forget me not" then placing the original word and the base form...
", "What'll I Do
What'll I Do
"What'll I Do" is the name of a song written by Irving Berlin in 1923. It was introduced by singers Grace Moore and John Steel late in the run of Berlin's third Music Box Revue and also was included in the following year's edition...
", "All Alone
All Alone (1924 song)
"All Alone" is a popular song.It was written by Irving Berlin. The song was published in 1924. The song has been recorded many times, becoming a standard; it was most popular in a 1962 recording by Frank Sinatra....
", "The Song Is Ended
The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)
"The Song is Ended " is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin, with lyrics written by Beda Loehner in 1927.The song's famous lyric is referenced in Ira Gershwin's verse to "They Can't Take That Away from Me", in the line the song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, the melody lingers...
", "Russian Lullaby", "Marie", "Together
Together (1928 song)
"Together" is a 1928 popular song with music by Ray Henderson and lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown. The most popular 1928 recording of the song, by Paul Whiteman, with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, was a #1 hit for two weeks....
", "Lover", "Charmaine
Charmaine (song)
"Charmaine" is a popular song written by Erno Rapee, with lyrics by Lew Pollack. The song was written in 1926 and published in 1927. However, Desmond Carrington on his BBC Radio 2 programme marked the song's writing as being in 1913....
".
From the 1930s: "Falling in Love with Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", "Reaching for the Moon
Reaching for the Moon
"Reaching for the Moon" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1930 musical film of the same name.In 1930, United Artists prepared this original music film written by Irving Berlin with his music and lyrics...
", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "The Touch of Your Hand", "Wait Till You See Her", "When I Grow Too Old to Dream
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
"When I Grow Too Old to Dream" is a popular song with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, published in 1934. The song has become a pop standard, recorded by many artists, most notably Gracie Fields....
", "The Whistling Waltz".
From the 1940s: "Goodnight, Irene
Goodnight, Irene
"Goodnight, Irene" or "Irene, Goodnight," is a 20th century American folk standard, written in 3/4 time, first recorded by American blues musician Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter in 1932....
", "You Always Hurt the One You Love
You Always Hurt the One You Love
"You Always Hurt the One You Love" is a pop standard, words by Allan Roberts and music by Doris Fisher. It has been performed by many artists over the years, such as The Mills Brothers, Connie Francis , Fats Domino, The Impressions,Frankie Laine, Richard Chamberlain , Peggy Lee, Maureen Evans,...
", "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'", "Out of My Dreams", "Californ-i-ay", "Hello, Young Lovers", "The Carousel Waltz", "The Girl That I Marry
The Girl That I Marry
"The Girl That I Marry" is a song from the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun, written by Irving Berlin.It was originally performed by Ray Middleton on stage and on record.Other hit versions in 1946 were by Frank Sinatra and Eddy Howard ....
", "The Girl Next Door
The Girl Next Door
The Girl Next Door is a 2004 American teen film starring Elisha Cuthbert, Emile Hirsch, and Timothy Olyphant, directed by Luke Greenfield, about an honor student who falls in love for the first time with the girl next door, but finds the situation becoming complicated after he learns that she is a...
", "Cruising Down the River
Cruising Down the River
Cruising Down the River is a 1946 popular recording song.Words and music were by Eily Beadell and Nell Tollerton, two middle-aged women who wrote the song in 1945. It became the winner of a public songwriting competition held in the UK...
", "Tenderly
Tenderly
"Tenderly" is a popular song published in 1946 with music by Walter Gross and lyrics by Jack Lawrence.Copyright 1946 by Edwin H. Morris & Company, Inc....
", "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk", "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World", "You're Breaking My Heart
You're Breaking My Heart
"You're Breaking My Heart" is a popular song. The song was published in 1948. Though credited to Pat Genaro and Sunny Skylar, the song is just an American version of the famous Italian song 'Mattinata' written by Ruggero Leoncavallo in the beginning of 20th century.Popular versions on the charts...
". "This Nearly Was Mine", "A Wonderful Guy".
From the 1950s: "The Tennessee Waltz
The Tennessee Waltz
"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular/country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in December 1947 as a single by Cowboy Copas that same year...
", "If
If (They Made Me a King)
"If " is a popular song.The music was written by Tolchard Evans, the lyrics by Robert Hargreaves and Stanley J. Damerell. The song was written in 1934, but the most popular versions were recorded in 1950-1951...
", "I Went To Your Wedding
I Went to Your Wedding
"I Went to Your Wedding" is a popular song written by Jessie Mae Robinson and published in 1952.The song is a report of a wedding, attended by the ex-lover of one of the parties being married, who obviously is still in love with the person it is addressed to...
", "Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
The Song from Moulin Rouge
"The Song from Moulin Rouge" is a popular song that first appeared in the 1952 film Moulin Rouge....
", "True Love
True Love (song)
"True Love" is a popular song written by Cole Porter and was published in 1956.The song was introduced by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the musical film High Society. The Crosby–Kelly version, accompanied by Johnny Green's MGM studio orchestra using a romantic arrangement by Conrad Salinger, was...
", "Allegheny Moon", "Rock and Roll Waltz
(The) Rock and Roll Waltz
" Rock and Roll Waltz" is a popular song. The music was written by Shorty Allen and the lyrics by Roy Alfred in 1955.The song is told from the point-of-view of a teenager who comes home early from a date, and catches her parents attempting to dance to one of her rock and roll records; only, having...
", "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", "Tammy
Tammy (song)
"Tammy" is a popular song with music by Jay Livingston and lyrics by Ray Evans. It was published in 1957 and debuted in the film Tammy and the Bachelor. It was nominated for the 1957 Academy Award for Best Original Song....
", "Around the World
Around the World (1956 song)
"Around the World" was the theme tune from the 1956 movie Around the World in 80 Days It never actually featured with the lyrics in the Around the World in Eighty Days film, but it is the vocal version which has by far become the better known...
", "The Chipmunk Song
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", "El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
", "Edelweiss
Edelweiss (song)
"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps...
", "My Favorite Things
My Favorite Things (song)
"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
".
From the 1960s: "Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
", "Charade", "Dear Heart", "Somewhere, My Love
Somewhere, my love
Somewhere, my love is a 10" studio album recorded by American popular music singer Connie Francis.Produced as a special release for the German Bertelsmann Record Club, Somewhere, my love is a compilation of English language and German language tracks recorded by Francis in May and June of 1966:The...
(Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago)", "The Sweetheart Tree", "What the World Needs Now Is Love
What the World Needs Now Is Love
"What the World Needs Now Is Love" is a 1965 popular song with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon, it was released on April 15, 1965, on the Imperial label after a release on sister label Liberty records the previous month...
", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
(You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman
" A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her...
", "Time to Get Alone
Time to Get Alone
"Time to Get Alone" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 and was produced by Carl Wilson. It is a waltz.- Recording :...
", "Friends
Friends (Beach Boys song)
"Friends" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1968 album Friends. It was also released as a single, with the B-side of the single being "Little Bird". The single peaked at #47 in the U.S....
", "The Last Waltz", "Jean
Jean (song)
"Jean" is the title of a popular song from 1969 . It was written by the American poet and composer Rod McKuen, who also recorded a version of the song....
", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
"(middle part), "When a Man Loves a Woman
When a Man Loves a Woman (song)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...
".
From the 1970s: "Time in a Bottle
Time in a Bottle
"Time in a Bottle" is a posthumous Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart number-one hit for singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The song reached the top spot on the Billboard chart at the end of December 1973, three months after his death in a plane crash. It was the third posthumous number...
", "Piano Man
Piano Man (song)
"Piano Man" was Billy Joel's first major hit and his signature song. "Piano Man" was released as a single in November 1st, 1973 and has been on several albums...
", "Annie's Song
Annie's Song
"Annie's Song" is a rock/country song recorded and written by singer-songwriter John Denver. It was his second number-one song in the United States, occupying that spot for two weeks in July 1974. "Annie's Song" also went to number one on the Easy Listening chart...
", "When I Need You", "If You Don't Know Me By Now
If You Don't Know Me By Now
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the jersey soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which became their first hit after being released as a single in 1972 topping the R&B chart and peaking at number three on the Pop chart.The...
", "Three Times a Lady
Three Times a Lady
* The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!...
", "Take It to the Limit", The Godfather Waltz,
"Watching the River Run" by Jim Messina, "My Sweet and Tender Beast" by Eugen Doga
Eugen Doga
Eugen Doga is a Moldovan/Romanian composer. After the fall of the Soviet Union he lives in Moscow, Russia.-Biography:Doga was born on March 1, 1937 in the village of Mocra in the Rîbniţa district of the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic...
, "Millionaire's Waltz" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
From the 1980s: "Friends and Lovers (Both to Each Other)", "At This Moment
At This Moment
"At This Moment" is a song that was first recorded by Billy Vera & The Beaters in 1981 during a string of performances at the Roxy in West Hollywood and featured on their self-titled live album, Billy and the Beaters, released that same year.When it was originally released as a single, as the...
".
Among popular composers, it seems they either wrote a lot of waltzes or almost none. Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
was known for his many waltzes, including "When I Lost You
When I Lost You
"When I Lost You" is a song with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin written in 1912 after his wife of five months, the former Dorothy Goetz, died of typhoid fever. In it he poured out the grief of his loss, the only song that he ever admitted had such a connection to his own life...
", "Always", "Remember
Remember (1925 song)
"Remember" is a popular song by Irving Berlin, published in 1925. The song is a popular standard, recorded by numerous artists.In the lyric, Berlin uses an interesting poetic technique by extending the sound of the word "forgot" into "forget me not" then placing the original word and the base form...
", "What'll I Do
What'll I Do
"What'll I Do" is the name of a song written by Irving Berlin in 1923. It was introduced by singers Grace Moore and John Steel late in the run of Berlin's third Music Box Revue and also was included in the following year's edition...
", "All Alone
All Alone (1924 song)
"All Alone" is a popular song.It was written by Irving Berlin. The song was published in 1924. The song has been recorded many times, becoming a standard; it was most popular in a 1962 recording by Frank Sinatra....
", "The Song Is Ended
The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)
"The Song is Ended " is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin, with lyrics written by Beda Loehner in 1927.The song's famous lyric is referenced in Ira Gershwin's verse to "They Can't Take That Away from Me", in the line the song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, the melody lingers...
", "Russian Lullaby", "Marie", "Reaching for the Moon", "The Girl That I Marry
The Girl That I Marry
"The Girl That I Marry" is a song from the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun, written by Irving Berlin.It was originally performed by Ray Middleton on stage and on record.Other hit versions in 1946 were by Frank Sinatra and Eddy Howard ....
", "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk", "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You", and "Let's Go Back to the Waltz". Similarly, Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
wrote many waltzes, including "Lover", "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "Out of My Dreams", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Falling in Love with Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", "Wait Till You See Her" "This Nearly Was Mine", "A Wonderful Guy", "Hello, Young Lovers", and "The Carousel Waltz". Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
included many waltzes among his popular songs: "Moon River", "Charade", "Dear Heart", "The Sweetheart Tree", and "Whistling Away the Dark". In contrast, Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
, George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
wrote only a small number of waltzes each. Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
often uses the waltz in his music, particularly in A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
Contemporary waltzes
Contemporary musicians have also made use of the waltz form. Notable examples include:- AR Rahman, "Waltz for Romance" (in 'A'major chord) for the score of the movie LagaanLagaanLagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...
- Jay BrannanJay BrannanJay Brannan is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He was born in Texas and briefly studied in Ohio, but moved to California to become an actor. Brannan appeared in the 2006 movie Shortbus, which included one of his songs in its soundtrack, and began to build a fan base by performing on...
, "Death Waltz" - AqualungAqualung (musician)Matthew "Matt" Hales , better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen New Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK...
, five tracks from Strange & BeautifulStrange and BeautifulStrange and Beautiful is Aqualung's first US album release: a compilation of tracks from Aqualung's first two albums: Aqualung and Still Life. This compilation making up his first US release includes "Strange and Beautiful," "Brighter Than Sunshine," and "Falling Out of Love."The track "Brighter...
(notably Extra Ordinary Thing and Good Times Gonna Come) - Hayley WestenraHayley WestenraHayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
, Dark Waltz - the PiercesThe PiercesThe Pierces are an American New York-based band consisting of sisters Allison Pierce and Catherine Pierce .-Childhood:...
, Secret - Sleepytime Gorilla MuseumSleepytime Gorilla MuseumSleepytime Gorilla Museum is an American experimental rock band, formed in 1999 in Oakland, California. The band fuses classical, industrial, and art-rock themes throughout their music...
, "Widening Eye", Composed by Michael Iago Mellender, is an example of a Waltz in experimental rock music. - SealSeal (musician)Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, "Kiss From A RoseKiss from a Rose"Kiss from a Rose" is a song from Seal's second eponymous album Seal . The song was first released as a single in July 1994. Re-released in 1995, it was included on the Batman Forever film soundtrack, helping it top the charts in the U.S. and Australia. It took the 1996 Grammy Awards for both...
" - The CorrsThe CorrsThe Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
, "RunawayRunaway (The Corrs song)"Runaway" is the début single by the Irish family band The Corrs. It was released in September 1995, and had middling chart success except in Ireland and Australia, where it peaked at #10. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached #49....
" - Zac EfronZac EfronZachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
and Vanessa Hudgens, "Can I Have This Dance?" (High School Musical 3) - John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, "Daughters" - Danny ElfmanDanny ElfmanDaniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
, who heavily utilizes the waltz rhythm in his many motion picture scores including BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
and Spider-ManSpider-Man (film)Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp... - Hans ZimmerHans ZimmerHans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
used waltz in his score for the movie GladiatorGladiator (2000 film)Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
to depict the rhythm of the battle scenes. - BjorkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Hyperballad (Brodsky Quartet) - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, whose waltzes, composed in the late 1960s, are found on the Beach Boys albums FriendsFriends (The Beach Boys album)Friends is the fourteenth studio album by The Beach Boys, released in 1968.As work on the album began in February 1968, Mike Love, a recent convert to transcendental meditation , departed on a two week trip to India to study TM further with his new master, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi...
and 20/2020/20 (The Beach Boys album)20/20 is the sole 1969 album release by The Beach Boys, and their last studio album to be released with Capitol Records for the next seventeen years.-Recording:... - Suzanne VegaSuzanne VegaSuzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
, whose song Bad Wisdom is another notable modern waltz - Bill EvansBill EvansWilliam John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
: "Waltz for DebbyWaltz for Debby (song)"Waltz for Debby" is a jazz standard composed by Bill Evans. A piano trio jazz waltz, it was first recorded on Evans's 1956 album New Jazz Conceptions and, perhaps more famously, on his 1961 live album Waltz for Debby. It has been recorded by many artists, both as an instrumental and as a vocal piece...
" being one of his most popular contributions. - Elliott SmithElliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, a folk-rock musician who also wrote several pieces in waltz time, most notably "Waltz #2 (XO)" and "Waltz #1" from the album XO (album)XO (album)XO is the name of the fourth album recorded by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Smith's first work on a major label, it was released by DreamWorks Records on August 25, 1998. Bong Load Custom Records released it on vinyl LP, which has since gone out of print. Vinyl copies of XO remained...
. - Patrick DoylePatrick DoylePatrick Doyle is a Scottish musician and film score composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V , Sense and Sensibility , Hamlet , and Gosford Park , as well as noteworthy blockbusters as Harry...
, composer of the soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
, wrote a waltz for the Yule Ball in this film. - Ben FoldsBen FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
: Lullabye and Smoke - Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
: High on Sunday 51 - Pure (band)Pure (band)Pure was a Canadian rock band, formed in Vancouver in 1991. Previously, the band was known as After All and Grin Factory. Signed to the Reprise label, the band reached a greater audience once their song "Greedy" was featured on the soundtrack album Songs from the Cool World, and the single "Blast"...
: Wagner's Show - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
: Winterlude from the album New MorningNew MorningNew Morning is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 11th studio album, released by Columbia Records in October 1970.Coming only four months after the controversial Self Portrait, the more concise and immediate New Morning won a much warmer reception from fans and critics. Most welcome was the return of... - Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
: Several tracks from Kill To Get CrimsonKill to Get CrimsonKill to Get Crimson is the fifth solo album by Mark Knopfler, released 23 October 2007. The album cover image is taken from the painting "Four Lambrettas and Three Portraits of Janet Churchman" by John Bratby, painted in 1958.... - The EelsEels (band)Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...
: "Beautiful Freak", "Daisies of the Galaxy", and many more. - Beirut (band)Beirut (band)Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band's first performances were in Wollaston, United Kingdom, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar...
: "A Sunday Smile", "Elephant Gun" & "Forks and Knives(La Fete)" - Number One Fan: "Waltz in F#"
- AdeleAdele (singer)Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
: "First Love" - Rachel Yamagata: "Quiet", "Be Be Your Love"
- Built to SpillBuilt to SpillBuilt to Spill is an American indie rock band based in Boise, Idaho. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy, was released on October 6, 2009.-History:...
: "Velvet Waltz" - The DodosThe DodosThe Dodos are an American indie rock band consisting of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber.- History :The Dodos began playing music together in 2005, when musician Meric Long, who had been gigging steadily in San Francisco as a solo singer-songwriter, was introduced to Logan Kroeber through a mutual...
: "Joe's Waltz" - Fiona AppleFiona AppleFiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
: "Waltz (Better Than Fine)" - QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
: "Sweet Lady" (3/4) from A Night At The Opera, and "The Millionaire Waltz" from A Day At The RacesA Day at the Races (album)A Day at the Races is the fifth album by British rock group Queen, released in December 1976. A Day at the Races was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. Recorded at Sarm East, The Manor and Wessex Studios in England, A Day at the... - The World/Inferno Friendship SocietyThe World/Inferno Friendship SocietyThe World/Inferno Friendship Society is a band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merges punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership features horns, piano and guitar. The ensemble has over 30 members, including a former member of Dexys Midnight Runners. About nine or ten members...
has several songs in waltz time, in keeping with their Weimar Germany theme. These include "Heart Attack '64," "All the World is a Stage (Dive)," and "...And Embarked on a Life of Poverty." - Okkervil River: "Red"
- Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
: Piano ManPiano Man (song)"Piano Man" was Billy Joel's first major hit and his signature song. "Piano Man" was released as a single in November 1st, 1973 and has been on several albums... - Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
: "Cry" - Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
: "Breakaway" - SwitchfootSwitchfootSwitchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
and Mandy MooreMandy MooreAmanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, "Only Hope" on A Walk to Remember (film)A Walk to Remember (film)A Walk To Remember is a 2002 American romance film based on the 1999 romance novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Shane West and Mandy Moore, was directed by Adam Shankman, and produced by Denise Di Novi and Hunt Lowry for Warner Bros... - Wumpscut: Cut to see how much I bleed
- Joe SatrianiJoe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
Always With Me, Always With You - Bomb the Music Industry!Bomb The Music Industry!Bomb the Music Industry! is band from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. They write, produce, record, and distribute all of their music under the leadership of songwriter and producer Jeff Rosenstock....
: "Big Plans of Sleeping In" from "Album Minus BandAlbum Minus BandAlbum Minus Band is the debut full-length album from DIY collective Bomb The Music Industry! Recorded by ex-Arrogant Sons of Bitches frontman, Jeff Rosenstock in a bedroom as an unexpected creative outburst during a month-long sobriety spree. The album contains “Unlicensed cover songs. Unlicensed...
" - Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
: "Sad Songs and Waltzes," on his 1973 album "Shotgun WillieShotgun WillieShotgun Willie is a 1973 album by Willie Nelson. The recording marks a change of style for Nelson, who later stated that the album "cleared his throat". When Nelson refused to sign an early extension of his contract with RCA in 1972, the label decided not to release any further recordings...
," covered by CakeCake (band)Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
on their 1996 album "Fashion NuggetFashion NuggetFashion Nugget is the second studio album by Cake, an alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. It was released in 1996, and contains 14 songs. "The Distance" became one of the band's biggest hits...
" - Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
: "All BluesAll Blues"All Blues" is a jazz composition by Miles Davis first appearing on the influential 1959 album Kind of Blue.It is a 12 bar blues in 6/4; the chord sequence is that of a basic blues and made up entirely of 7th chords, with a ♭VI in the turnaround instead of just the usual V chord...
" from "Kind of BlueKind of BlueKind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released August 17, 1959, on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City on March 2 and April 22, 1959...
" - Iron And Wine: "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" from "The Shepherd's DogThe Shepherd's DogThe Shepherd's Dog is the third full-length studio album by Iron & Wine, released on September 25, 2007. If bought at select retailers or if pre-ordered through Sub Pop, the album comes with a bonus disc featuring two unreleased tracks...
" and "Twilight OST" - Katie MeluaKatie MeluaKetevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
: "When You Taught Me How To Dance" from "Miss Potter OST" - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
: "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
: "Nothing Else MattersNothing Else Matters"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third single from its self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts...
" from "The Black AlbumMetallica (album)Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...
" - Naimee ColemanNaimee ColemanNaimee Coleman is a singer/songwriter from Dundrum Dublin, Ireland.After signing with EMI she recorded her first solo album Silver Wrists in Abbey Road Studios. The follow-up Bring Down the Moon came 4 years later....
: "Your Arms" - Ingrid MichaelsonIngrid MichaelsonIngrid Ellen Egbert Michaelson is a New York-based indie-pop singer-songwriter. Her music has been featured in episodes of several popular television shows, including Scrubs, Bones, Grey's Anatomy The Big C and One Tree Hill, as well as in Old Navy's Fall 2007 Fair Isle and Opel's/Vauxhall's...
: "The Chain" - Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
: The last section of his song "Processional," entitled "Infinite Waltz" from the "Christeen + 4 Demos" EP - Arcade Fire: "Crown of Love", from the album Funeral
- Seatbelts: "Waltz for Zizi", from the album Cowboy Bebop
See also
- Austrian folk dancing
- Waltz (dance)
- SchuhplattlerSchuhplattlerThe Schuhplattler is a traditional Austro-Bavarian folk dance evolved from the Ländler.-Origins:The origins of this social dance are found in an early courtship display...
- LandlerLändlerThe ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century.It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping...
- ZwiefacherZwiefacherThe Zwiefacher is a south German folk dance with a quick tempo and changing beat patterns.- Location :The Zwiefacher is danced primarily in Bavaria, especially Lower Bavaria, Hallertau and Upper Palatinate; it is also known in the Black Forest, Austria, Alsace, the Czech Republic and Sudetenland.-...
- MazurkaMazurkaThe mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
- Polska (dance)Polska (dance)The polska is a family of music and dance forms shared by the Nordic countries: called polsk in Denmark, polska in Sweden and Finland and by several names in Norway in different regions and/or for different variants - including pols, rundom, springleik, and springar...
- FandangoFandangoFandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...
- PolonaisePolonaiseThe polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....