The times., 1899-12-17
ORIGIN OF THE WALTZ.
At One Time 1t Was Included in
Church Music.
IFrom The London Musical CouTisT-l

(From the London Musical Courier-)
The opinion most generally conceded is
that France received the waltz from Ger
many toward the close OF the eighteenth
century, and among many beliefs this con-
tains the most truth. but the justice of
attributing to Germanic Influences the re-
naissanCe of the waltz in France does not
of necessity verify the statement that il
had its origin in Germany. Like everything
else that touches humanity, where nothing
is born spontaneously. but everything is
the product of "a series Of successive eyo-
lutions the waltz did not emanate in its
presnet form from the brain OF a dancing
master Long before 1880, the time we find
il first mentioned under this name. its
graceful curves and cadences were display
ed on the village greens as well as IN the
grand salons of the palaces; it had its al
ternatives oil vogue and neglect. its sup
porters and detractors. The wal-z like
many other secular things, we hrd first IN
the church where. in the midst OF bar
taric disorder it serves to trace the union
between ancient civilization ami that of The
Middle Ages.
TIE sacred dance of the pagans is pre-
served 90 a certain extent in Christian
rites: il is transformed TO series OF rev
olutions made to the sound Of The tam
BOURNE St IsadCre Archbishop of Sew
lille. born about A. ID. $50. was entrusted
by the Council Of Toledo with the reyis-
tions of the liturgy as il was then prac-
tised in the Roman Church. in which there
was a tambOurine dance. The Council de
cided to adopt the IsadOrian liturgy in all
Spain. and il differed but little from that
used in other countries at that time This
rite celebrated before the eighth century,
when the Moors first invaded Spain was
still celebrated by the Christians in the
seven churches If Toledo, which the MO1rs
abandoned aft5r their capture of the city
and was after that time called the Moor
| ish rite.
This was known and employed in Prov
ence and Italy The tambouIiue in use in
this religious dance was called by ST. Isa-
dcrc -mOite de symphonic and evidently
correspouded 10 the instrument which. in
the ancient sacred dances, accompanied the
flute. q sort OF bagpipe invented two cen
turies before Christ. And thus, as the re-
ligious dance of the Middle Ages is allied
to the ancient sacred dance, so the wa u is
an evolution of this religious dance hav-
| ing passed through many changes before
! arriving in its present form. I'm the eley-
| enth century. when the GregOrian rite sup
planted the Moorish rite, the dance di-ap-
reared from the church. IL appeared very
| quickly in society under the names OF
! carole. a word derived from the Latin
| .caroIer:" afterwards under that of hasse-
! dance in which the grand prelates kings.
| and dignitares did not disdaiu to join.
| composed of three parts, two very SOW,
| and one more lively. The peOple-and at
| this time all who were not OF the clergy
| or royalty were the peOpie-used the lat
! ter part-caled the tourdian, which. Hsh eT
| and more lively, appealed TO them, aad.
| itrle by little. it became changed.
In Italv il was first separated from the
rest under the name of rOuaEesca, and
| from there it passed in Provence and South
! erp Germany. Tn Provence it was deyel-
| oped into the Eaiilard and vclJe while the
| Germans NOR dreamy and slow. changed
| the romancsca inlo fHe -Iiemaud and waltz
| The wolfe succumbea while young. 10 Oh
! Ijvion in the sixteenth century, by very
! reason of It's excess. bGt inc German lived
| long. and produced the waltz which reigus
! today.
| Thus from the tourdian OF the aristocratic
| dance Transformed by the people was born
| the ronanesca. which became in France the
| gaiIlard and the voIJe. and in Germany
/ through various stages, emerged at last into
| the waltz, and this last ayatar of the old
! dance of the eleventh century seems TO Dc
! Installed indefinitely and to have fixed the
| fancy of the world. The waltz has had
and always will have. appreciation and op-
position. but it has triUmphed over all. and
| today its musical rhythm, so charming and
| captivating which Beethoven and Chopin
| disdained not to immortaliZe is 10 be heard
on every side The Invitation to the
| Waltz by Weber. magnifcently Orchss-
| trated by BerlioZ, is celebrated, but, OF
| course. 1t must be remembered that these
| waltzes were composed to be listened %
| rather than to be danced.