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Minute Waltz
The Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, popularly known as the Minute Waltz, and also Valse du petit chien, is a waltz for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin. It is dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka.
History
Chopin wrote the waltz in 1847 and had it published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig the same year, as the first of the Trois Valses, Op. 64. The second waltz is in the enharmonic parallel minor key of C sharp minor.
Tempo
The piece is given the tempo marking Molto vivace. Although it has long been known as the "Minute Waltz", a nickname meaning a "small" waltz, given by its publisher, Chopin did not intend for this waltz to be played in one minute: a typical performance of the work will last between one and a half to two and a half minutes.[3] The waltz is 138 measures long with one fifteen-measure repeat included, and thus it would have to be played at almost 420 quarter notes per minute in order to do it in one minute. Playing the piece as fast as possible is still a feat some pianists attempt. The waltz is a playful piece, more so than any of Chopin's other waltzes. Camille Bourniquel, one of Chopin's biographers, reminds the reader that Chopin got the inspiration for this waltz as he was watching a small dog chase its tail, which prompted the composer to name the piece Valse du petit chien ("The Little Dog Waltz").
Media
Derivative works
A vocal version of the song, with lyrics by screenwriter Lan O'Kun, has been performed by multiple artists, including Barbra Streisand on her 1966 album Color Me Barbra. O'Kun's lyrics perpetuate the notion that the song should be performed in one minute, although Streisand's performance clocks in at just under two minutes.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Minute Waltz.
