[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP] You hear music in triple metre with a strong first beat at a moderate tempo. Couples dance in smooth, ...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP]
You hear music in triple metre with a strong first beat at a moderate tempo. Couples dance in smooth, flowing patterns.
What dance is this. [1]
Answer Details
The correct answer is waltz. [1]
The waltz is a dance in triple metre (three beats per bar) with a characteristically strong first beat followed by two lighter beats (ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three). It is performed at a moderate tempo by couples who move in smooth, flowing, rotating patterns across the dance floor.
The waltz originated in Austria and southern Germany in the late 18th century and became enormously popular across Europe during the 19th century. The Strauss family - particularly Johann Strauss II, known as the 'Waltz King' - composed hundreds of waltzes for the ballrooms of Vienna. Chopin also wrote waltzes for solo piano, and the waltz appears in orchestral and ballet music by Tchaikovsky, Ravel and others.
Key musical features that identify a waltz:
- Triple metre (3/4 time)
- A strong accent on beat 1, often with a bass note
- A lighter accompaniment pattern on beats 2 and 3, typically chords played by the left hand or inner orchestral parts
- A graceful, flowing melody that spans across the bar lines
- Moderate tempo - fast enough to dance to but not rushed
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