Mazurka

The mazurka (Polish: mazurek, likely named after Poland's Mazury district) is a Polish folk dance in triple time with a lively tempo, containing a heavy accent on the third or second beat. The dance became popular at balls.

Related Topics:
Polish - Mazury - Polish - Folk dance - Accent - Beat - Ball

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Several classical composers have written mazurkas, with the best known being the more than 50 composed by Fryderyk Chopin for solo piano. In the 1920s, Karol Szymanowski wrote a set of twenty for piano. The Polish national anthem is a mazurka.

Related Topics:
Classical - Fryderyk Chopin - Karol Szymanowski - Polish national anthem

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In Swedish folk music, the quaver or eight-note polska has a similar rhythm as the mazurka, and the two dances have a common origin.

Related Topics:
Swedish folk music - Polska

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The dance was also common as a popular dance in the United States in the late 19th century. In the U.S. Southern States it was sometimes known as a Mazuka.

Related Topics:
United States - 19th century - U.S. Southern States

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The Mazurka has also been used outside of Poland. In Russia, Tchaikovsky composed six, all for solo piano; Borodin wrote two in his Petite Suite for piano; Glinka also wrote two; and Scriabin used the form as well. In France, Impressionistic composers Debussy and Ravel both wrote Mazurkas: Debussy's is a standalone piece, and Ravel's is part of a suite of pieces known as La Parade, an early work which is not very well known.

Related Topics:
Russia - Tchaikovsky - Borodin - Glinka - Scriabin - Impressionistic - Debussy - Ravel

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The dance features in Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

Related Topics:
Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina

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