# What’s your favorite polonaise in classical music?



## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

Any polonaise fans out there?

I haven’t ran across it too often in CM, but the little that I have found, I’ve really enjoyed. 

Henryk Wieniawski -Polonaise Brillante Op. 21
Robert Schumann – Violin Concerto, 3rd movement
Pyotr Tchaikovsky- Eugene Onegin (opera), opening of act 3


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Even Beethoven wrote a polonaise!


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Donald Tovey called the third movement of Sibelius' VC "a polonaise for polar bears".


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Pyotr said:


> Any polonaise fans out there?
> 
> I haven't ran across it too often in CM, but the little that I have found, I've really enjoyed.
> 
> ...


There is a host of _alla polacca_ movements or segments in pre-romantic era music, too, at least as far back as the classical and baroque eras.

The dance form, meter, accents and characteristic phrasing has been popular for, uh, rather a while


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

ahammel said:


> Donald Tovey called the third movement of Sibelius' VC "a polonaise for polar bears".


That conjures up the visual of Hippopotami in pink tutus and toe shoes pirouetting to Amilcare Ponchielli's _Dance of the Hours,_ (from _La Giocanda_) in Disney's 'Fantasia.'


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

PetrB said:


> That conjures up the visual of Hippopotami in pink tutus and toe shoes pirouetting to Amilcare Ponchielli's _Dance of the Hours,_ (from _La Giocanda_) in Disney's 'Fantasia.'


Not _ quite_ what he was getting at, I don't think.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

ahammel said:


> Not _ quite_ what he was getting at, I don't think.


Nor do I think Tovey was aiming for anything like Debussy's comment on Grieg's _Lyric Pieces,_ "Like pink bon-bons filled with snow."

But all of these sorts of poetic / funny writer's constructs on music carry some meaning, and a comic image conjured up by their similes / analogies.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Could that be Tovey instead of Tobey?


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Could that be Tovey instead of Tobey?


Yes. Autocorrect. Apologies.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Why not one with Jack Sparrow?


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

an obscure one that I really liked:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I love the "Polacca" from the "Aurora's Wedding" part of Tchaikovsky's_ Sleeping Beauty_. An exultant melody, simple yet inspired in true Tchaikovsky fashion.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Even Beethoven wrote a polonaise!


He wrote another one here:


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

As a side reark, it would be fun with a contemporary composer writing a polonaise, along the lines of say a Schnittke, Adés or Gubaidulina. Can´t think of any immediately, at least. I guess there certainly must be some quite recent Polish examples.


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

The polonaise in the "Polish" act of Boris Godunov.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The one in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Act lll.


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