Waltz
A Waltz is music in 3/4 time with light tuneful melodies, and simple chordal lower parts with the first beat heavily accented. It is primarily a dance form, still popular in the ballroom, but has been adapted for the concert hall in many famous classical works. It originates from Austrian and
German country dances or Landler, from the mid 1700s.
It can be argued that the waltz is a more lively descendent of an older dance
form, the stately minuet,
which was also in 3/4 time. In the classical
period, both Mozart and
Beethoven
wrote some Landler, or country dances, which sound pretty much like waltzes. In
the romantic period,
Chopin
is especially famous for his lyrical and elaborate piano waltzes.
Johann Strauss is the most famous composer to have specialized in writing waltzes, such as the Blue Danube, and
Tales of the Vienna Woods. His beloved city of Vienna is considered the waltz capital of the world.