The Bohemian Waltz and the Viennese Polka

• In Event: Habsburg-Pop: Musical Markets and Multiculturalism in the Late Habsburg Empire

Abstract

While the fast Waltz is usually associated with Vienna, the Polka is considered as being Czech. This presentation deconstructs these spatial and national labels by focusing on the Czech (and Prussian) roots of the Waltz, and the pivotal role Vienna played for producing and popularizing the Polka. Both became the most popular dances of the 19th century all over the world and especially in the Americas. The presentation pays also attention to the social grounding of both dances, which provides a clue why they became complementary rather than competing. The Waltz and the Polka, which were both uplifted by the imperial elite, can also help to explain the conditions for why and how the Habsburg Empire became a hotbed of popular music.

Author

• Philipp S Ther, U of Vienna (Austria)