Joseph Lanner and Johann Strauss Sr. are considered the founders of the Viennese waltz genre, transforming it from a series of motifs into concise, formally comprehensible pieces.
Performer Biography
Ranko Marković, born in Zagreb, Croatia, is the head of a study course at the Academy of Arts in Zurich and has performed internationally.
Cultural Impact
The Viennese waltz became a symbol of a society creating music that defied gravity, with the first beat being an 'upward beat' rather than a heavy one.
Performer Biography
Marialena Fernandes, a professor of chamber music in Vienna, was born in Mumbai, India, and has won prizes at major piano competitions.
Compositional Technique
The 'one' or first beat in Viennese three-quarters' time is not a 'heavy beat' but an 'upward beat', propelling dancers to the next turn.
Composer Biography
Johannes Brahms, born in Hamburg, showed pre-eminent mastery in the very Viennese idiom, particularly in his 16 Waltzes Op. 39.
Historical Context
The cliché 'The Congress was dancing' arose during the Congress of Vienna (1814/15) because balls were used to bridge standstills in negotiations.
