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Geschichten
aus dem Wienerwald:
Melody and rhythm in a Strauß waltz
Johann Strauß (Sohn) |
| The basis of the melody -like in all Strauß waltzes - is the monotonous Hm-ta-ta of the waltz rhythm. The Hm of the bass (stress on the first beat) is followed by the Ta-ta of the second violins (beat two, three). Many melodies composed with large interval leaps are based on this stereotype Hm-ta-ta. This makes the waltz slightly mysterious but also typically Austrian - if we take into consideration that the 19th century, the century of the waltz, comprises a wide scope of cultural history ranging from Johann Nestroy to Arthur Schnitzler, from Ferdinand Raimund to Hugo von Hofmannsthal and from Joseph Lanner to Arnold Schönberg. The Danube Monarchy, the imperial Austria, danced to its death in a drunken ecstasy of beauty.
Structure of a concert waltz 
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