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Tuesday 26 November 2013

Thing To Do Today: waltz.

I've been doing a fair bit of waltzing, lately.



Pierre-August Renoir

I'm glad to report that I did it without putting a foot wrong, too, even though yesterday the waltzes happened to be rather complicated things by Brahms and Liszt.

Well, I was sitting down at the time, which helps.

So how do you waltz sitting down? Well, I was playing the piano (and though my feet didn't stray I can't vouch entirely for my fingers). I'm usually more of a Bach type, but the odd waltz is good fun from time to time.

Even if you don't play a musical instrument you can still waltz; even if you can't sing you can waltz (though very nearly everyone can sing); and not being able to dance shouldn't stop you, either.

All you have to do is suddenly take yourself off somewhere without a care in the world.

So, will you waltz off to the pictures?

Waltz off to the shops?

Or even waltz off to go, well, waltzing?

There is a slight idea that the waltzer is leaving someone resentfully behind to do all the work, but...

...hmm, that is a bit of a problem, isn't it.

Ah well. I suppose you could always go on a waltzer:



or perhaps waltz Matilda, which in Australia means to travel the road carrying your possessions in a bag as you go:



Extra points if can do it in triple time without a care in the world.

Thing To Do Today: waltz. This word comes from the German Waltzer, from the Middle High German walzen, to roll. 

6 comments:

  1. I had to comment, since I, too, love Bach. I haven't heard much of Lizst and Brahms, so I think I'll go see what I can find! Especially where waltzes are concerned.

    (I found your blog on Lexicolatry, by the way)

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  2. Welcome, Emily, it's great to hear from you.
    I'd much rather listen to a Bach minuet than a B&L's waltz, but I find with a lot of music that the relief when it stops generally makes it worth the trouble of listening.

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  3. Oh people in England love getting themselves Brahms and Lizst - every Friday and Saturday night, town centres across the land are filled with people celebrating their love.

    And it's funny you write about this now, Sally, as just yesterday I was showing my daughter a waltz I wrote on the piano many, many years ago (and had forgotten about) for a music exam.

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    Replies
    1. What a dad! She's at an age to be impressed, too.
      Clever of you to make the most of it.
      I'll look forward to COMPOSE on lexicolatry.

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  4. Tuesday's episode of Strictly: It Takes Two included a lesson on how to waltz. Now I know where they get their ideas from!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03jv6r3/Strictly_It_Takes_Two_Series_11_Episode_42/ (starts at 8.19)

    Maybe next Tuesday's word could be 'charleston'? Or perhaps 'samba' or 'tango'.

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    Replies
    1. All very good ideas, Anon. Watch this space!

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