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The Waltz or the Staging of Modernity

Summary/Abstract: The waltz was the most popular musical genre of the nineteenth century. On the one hand this dance represented a product of modernity, and on the other hand it was an artistic form that allowed to stage the processes of modernization, to play them out in the ballroom. The dancing couples’ quick movements demanded precise coordination. They had to happen according to a fixed plan, an “itinerary”. The somatic impressions of rotating couples recalled other modernized forms of entertainment, similarly subjected to a rigorous plan: the merry-go-round or the train. The waltz’s relationships to modernization (and programme music) was highlighted by the compositions’ titles.

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