What Makes A Waltz A Waltz?

[fuel925]

What makes a piece a waltz instead of just a piece in 3/4 time? Along the same lines, what makes a prelude a prelude instead of just a short piece of music?

[franzliszt2]

A waltz is a dance in 3/4 time. It has a heavy accent on the 1st beat, Well not accent, but stress. This makes it different to other 3/4 dances, such as the minuet and allemande, which do not have heavy 1st beats.

Prelude litterally means a lorelude to simething. they usually brief, and lead onto something. they also mainy instrumental, although there are examples of orchestral preludes etc.... such as Debussy Prelude a LApres midi d'un faune, which is an independent piece leading to nothing.

Wagener and Verdi are famous for using the term Prelude instead of overture for there operas. Prelude is mainly associated with keyboard instruments though. Earliest examples are 15th century organ manuscripts. A main feature throughout the history of the preulde is the imporisatitory manner to them. They all were immidiatly followed by something, the most popular being a fuue,a s we see in Bach. Also many composer choose this, including Shostakovich, mendelsohn, and I am sure Mozart did a few, but don;t quote me on that.

Then later on, mainly 19th century compoers, began to use the prelude alone, Hummel did a set of 24, but it was Chopin that really adopted the style. And then the preulude became a short piece exploring a particular mood, or techncal device. Many of the preuldes were composed as a hoimage to Bach, compsers such as Mendelsohn, LiszT Franck, Bussoni Hindemith etc...whereas it is siad that Rachmaninoff and Skriabin choose Chopin's prekudes as the model for theirs.

Debussy went as far as to name his, but again.. they are short, and explore a mood, or technical device, so he has held with tradition. And composers such as Poulec, Delius, and Dutilluex floowed this style of the Name,

And then people like John Cage, and other people like that composed preludes, but I havn;t looked into that beacause that sort of modern stuff don;t interest me at all.

Hope that explains it 

[BoliverAllmon]

A waltz has a title of waltz and a prelude has a title called prelude. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Tash]

A waltz is a dance in 3/4 time. It has a heavy accent on the 1st beat, Well not accent, but stress. This makes it different to other 3/4 dances, such as the minuet and allemande, which do not have heavy 1st beats.

actually it doesn't always have a heavy accent on the 1st beat. i can't remember how it goes cos i've thrown my notes out, but i think the viennese waltz had different accents compared to the london waltz or something like that...and it usually has the 1st beat bass note and 2 chords following it, and it makes you feel like bounding around the room haha

[pianistimo]

a waltz isn't a waltz without johann strauss conducted by andre rieu.  a prelude isn't a prelude without debussy conducted by hmmm salonen.  (ok. maybe claudio abbado, too: thinking of don giovanni's overture by mozart conducted by him).  anyway, it's all in the interpretation and the mystery.  rachmaninov playing his own preludes is pretty good, too.

[rapmasterb]

Tchaikovsky did a waltz in 5/4 time. Hope that adds to the confusion ...

[prometheus]

Most waltzes written by piano composers are not meant as dance music. They are loosely based on the rhythmic nature of the real watlzes.

[johnny-boy]

Tchaikovsky did a waltz in 5/4 time. Hope that adds to the confusion ...

What waltz was that rap?

Best, John

[tac-tics]

Tchaikovsky did a waltz in 5/4 time. Hope that adds to the confusion ...

One and Two and Three and One and Two and..... OH SNAP! One again!??

[alzado]

If you look up the word "waltz" it is more than just the 3/4 the rhythm.

Two people are on the dance floor, and  -- I believe they are to turn every two measures if they are dancing a proper waltz.  In other words, the definition of "waltz" involves both the music and the dance step.

Look it up in Wikipedia.  That's where I found "waltz" defined. 

[prometheus]

Again, most piano pieces called a waltz aren't meant to dance to.

[Tash]

yeah but who said we're looking only at piano music?

[alzado]

Again, most piano pieces called a waltz aren't meant to dance to.

Prometheus

I think you miss the point. 

A waltz is defined by its cultural place.  Waltzes in the popular culture of Chopin's day were often intended for the dance.  We are talking about the origins of this form.

Composers like Chopin and others imitated the rhythmic effects of waltzes they heard during their time.  Perhaps these salon pieces were not intended for the dance, be we are talking about the origin of this form. 

I have a feeling that -- like a parrot -- you will just repeat the same statement, so -- have at it.