Annotation:Krakoviak
X:1 T:Cracovienne Quickstep M:2/4 L:1/8 R:March B:Elias Howe – Second Part of the Musician’s Companion (1843, pp. 66-67) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G V:1 G|FAce|dB B2|d(3d/e/d/ cA|GBBG|FAce|dB B2|d(3d/e/d/ cA|AG G:| |:cege|dB B2|d(3d/e/d/ cA|GBBG|cege|dB B2|d(3d/e/d/ cA|AG G2:| |:G2 Bd |f2 ef|.g.c.B.d|ce/c/G z|G2 Bd|f2 ef|.g(cB).d|c2 z2:| |:A2 c=f|aag^f|gag^f|g2 ez|G2 Bd|=f2 ef|.g.c.B.d|c2 z:| V:2 z|DFAc|BG G2|B(3B/c/B/ AF|DGGD|DFAc|BG G2|B(3B/c/B/ AF|FC B,:| |:Acec|BG G2 |B(3B/c/B/ AF|DGGD|Acec|BG G2|B(3B/c/B/ AF|CB, B,2:| (G2G2)|d2 cd|eAGB|EG/E/E z|(G2G2)|d2 cd|e(AG)B|E2E2:| |:F2 Ac|ffed|e[Adf]eA|e2c z|E2 GB|d2 cd|e[Ac]DF|E2 z:|]
KRAKOVIAK. AKA and see "Can You Dance a Polka," "Krakovienne," "Cracovienne Quickstep," "I Have a Donkey He Wouldn't Go," "Jacket Trimmed in Blue," "Bonnet Trimmed in Blue," "Walk Jawbone (2)" (USA). English, Scottish, American; Dance Tune (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. An international tune and dance, known in Germany as "Krakovienne" with a Continental provenance. James Manson, in Hamilton's Universal Tune-Book, vol. 2 (1853), attributes the melody to Nicolas-Charles Bochsa [1] (1789–1856), a concert harp virtuoso and composer embroiled in scandals at various times in his career. A child prodigy, Bochsa composed a symphony at age 12, and an opera at 16. The opera was called Trajan and honored Napoleon Bonaparte's visit to Lyon. This brought him to the attention of the Emperor, who appointed him harpist to the royal household, where he gave lessons to Empress Josephine and created a craze of harp playing among the cultured ladies of Paris.
In County Donegal, Ireland, this tune (the same version that appears in Hamilton's and Kerr's) was used at house parties to accompany the dance The Berlin Polky (Polka), as remembered by musician Danny O'Donnell. It was also entered as a untitled polka in the mid-19th century music manuscript collection of County Cork uilleann piper and Church of Ireland cleric James Goodman [2].
