Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-08-23
BIRTH OF THE WALTZ
The DANCE HAD ITS ORIGIN EITHER
IN FRANCE OR GERMANY.

IN FRANCE OR GERMANY.
Its Introduction Into England Caused
Great scandal In Thns Country
and For Time Had Fashionable
Society I'm nm UprORr.
No exact date can be ascribod TO the
Introduction Of the waltz into England
from France. In 1900 Gnray published
a caricaturc Of couple Waiting.
with the note that this was intended
for quiz upon the then foreign dance.
Waiting" Again in 1910 the same art
list published another sketch. entitled
Ia WalSc, lie Bon Genre." with the
note The walse was at this time new
In England and just coming into fash
lon"
The fame, or. rather. notoriety. Of the
new dance had. however. reached
England some years previously. DIT
Burney had seen IL danced in Paris in
1870 and was moved 20 write. How
uneasy an English mother would feel
10 see her daughter 50 unfamiliarly
treated ana still more 10 note the
dom is returned by the females"
Raikes In his journal declares that
mo event ever produced SO great
sensation In English society as the in
PRODUCTION OF the German waltz"
which ne attributes 10 Baron Neu-
mann and others about the year 1911.
He relates how the mornings. which
had hitherto been dedicated 10 loung-
ing in the park. were now absorbed at
home in practicing the figures Of n
French quadrile or whirling n chair
round the room 10 learn the step and
measure OF the German waltz.
Ii was danced at Almack's by few
very bold spirits. notably Lord Palmer
ston. Nine dc Lieven. Princess Ester
hazy and Baron Neumann. and thus
became n matter Of exhibition. the
whole company standing on benches 10
view the performance.
However. the antiwaltzing party took
the alarm and cried IL down. Mothers
forbade II, and every ballroom became
n scene Of feud and contention. How
profound was its unpOpularity in Ger
tain quarters is proved by the pasqui-
nades leveled against It. The famous
seven lines commencing
what, The girl I adore 10y another en-
bracedv'
are commonly attributed TO Byron.
though they were published anony-
mously in 1872, aud some authorities
give Thomas Moore as the author. An
impr0mptu purpOrting TO be addressed
by an indignant lover TO his betrothed
and her partner echoes ByrOn's feel
ings:
You've brushed the bloom from the
peach
From the rose it's soft hue;
What you've touched YOU may take.
Pretty Walter. adieu.
Another poet delivered himself Of the
following dlatribe:
How arts improve In this inspiring age!
Peers mount the box. and horses tread the
stage.
While Waiting females. with unblushing
face,
Disdain 10 dance but in a mans en-
brace.
THE waltz, however" continues
Raikes. struggled successfully through
all It's difficulties Flaurhault, who was
Ia fieur du pois' in Paris, can over
and with a host OF others drove the
prudes into their intrenchments. And
when the Emperor Alexander was seen
Waiting around the roof at Almack's,
with his tight uniform and numerous
decorations, they surrendered at discre-
ton"
1t is moot point whether the waltz
originated IN France or Germany,
NH u, ssV
Volta" or the German national dance,
the LANDER" According 10 French
authorities, La Volta was simply the
waltz trOis temps. Provence was its
birthplace, and It was first introduced
at the court of Henry III. at FOntaine-
bleau in 1866 by the Comte de Saulte,
who Is said TO have invented II, for
many called II La Volta de Saulte. and
the name is suitable both because OF
the etymOlogy Of the word and the
character OF the dance
1t enjoyed a great run throughout
France and even penetrated to Scot
land, where il met with furious oppoSi-
ton, one writer averring that its i'm
portation into France had been effect
ed by the power OF witches. Mary Stu
art once exhibited her agility in this
dance, but she was careful not to re-
peat the experiment, and this was
about the last heard of it,
The case for Germany is that the
hrst waltz tune appeared In 1870 in a
popular song called 20 du lieber Au-
gustin." From Germany the dance
made its way TO Vienna and was intro
duced into the opera, while by and by
1t found its way to France. whence Ii
came to England-"the insidious waltz.
this imp of Germany, brought up in
France"
The waltz when first danced In Lon
don was slow movement a trois
temps, and the early English waltz
compositions were very poor. Strauss
came TO London in 1897 to play at AL
mack's, and his waltz music created a
perfect furore. It killed the old trois
temps waltz, and the deux temps
usurped its place. Now that the fasci-
nation Of the waltz is all powerful, it is
difficult TO realize the commotion its in
PRODUCTION caused.-LOndon Globe.
Sfdefraclxed