Annotation:Redowa Polka (The)

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REDOWA POLKA, THE. English, Polka. D Major {Carlin}: G Major ('A' and 'B' parts) & C Major ('C' part) {Callaghan, Doyle, Trim}. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Carlin): AABBCC (Callaghan, Plain Brown, Trim). Redowa [1] is the name of a waltz-like dance movement popular in the nineteenth century, in ¾ time. The dance originated in Bohemia and involved a change of weight that, while appearing graceful to the onlooker, involved a level of skill that could only be brought off by better dancers. Eventually hybrid forms were created—the Polka Redowa and the Redowa Polka. The Polka Redowa was a polka dance set to redowa music in ¾ time; while a Redowa Polka was a redowa dance set to polka music in 2/4 time. Published versions date to the 1850’s (see http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an6304054), particularly an 1853 collection (published by in Australia by James Turner Grocott) of dance music arranged or composed by Louis Jullien (1812-1850), a prominent showman, composer, publisher and concert organizer of the mid-19th century. He preformed at Drury Lane and the Zoological Gardens in London, yet in the end squandered his fortune and died a pauper in France. The ‘B’ part is melodically similar to that of “The Girl with the Blue Dress On [1].” Music manuscript versions of the tune can be found in the Thomas Hardy family manuscripts (Dorset, early 19th century) and the Michael Turner manuscript (Warnham, Sussex, 1842-52). In the John Clare manuscript the piece appears under the generic title “Polka” although written in 6/8 time, according to Barry Callaghan (2007).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; p. 69. Carlin (Master Collection of Dance Music for the Violin), 1984; No. 7, p. 18 (appears as "The Redower Polka"). Doyle (Plain Brown Tune Book), 1997; p. 36. Trim (The Musical Legacy of Thomas Hardy), 1990; No. 57.

Recorded sources:

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