science

Minute Waltz

Minute Waltz is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Minute Waltz rather than just read about it. In short: The Waltz in D♭ major, Op. 64, No. 1, sometimes known as "Valse du petit chien" (French for "Waltz of the puppy"), and popularly known in English as the Minute Waltz, is a piano waltz by Polish composer and virtuoso Frédéric Chopin. It is dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka.

Key takeaways

Minute Waltz belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Minute Waltz to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Minute Waltz from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Waltz in D♭ major, Op. 64, No. 1, sometimes known as "Valse du petit chien" (French for "Waltz of the puppy"), and popularly known in English as the Minute Waltz, is a piano waltz by Polish composer and virtuoso Frédéric Chopin. It is dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka.

History Chopin composed the waltz in 1847 and had it published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig the same year, as the first of the Trois Valses, Op. 64. The second waltz is in the enharmonic parallel minor key of C♯ minor. A fast version of the waltz, played by Arthur Rubinstein, has served as the theme music for the BBC Radio 4 show Just a Minute since the programme's inception.

Structure

The waltz is in the key of D♭ major and has a tempo marking of molto vivace (very lively). Chopin indicates that the waltz is to be played with the sustain pedal used, and makes frequent use of crescendi and diminuendi. It is in a simple ternary form, as are many of Chopin's compositions. The A section is marked leggero, and the B section sostenuto. The A section itself can be divided into two themes, separated by a double barline. The first consists of the familiar opening melody over standard waltz accompaniment, frequently rising an octave only to drop back down. The second theme is similar, but not identical, and features several broken scales over several octaves between a repeated quarter note and triplet motive. The B section is somewhat calmer, using alternating half and quarter notes over waltz accompaniment. Following a lengthy trill, the A section is repeated, modified only in the ending, which features a three-octave descent instead of a two-octave one.

Tempo The piece is given the tempo marking Molto vivace. Although it has long been known as the "Minute" Waltz, its nickname was intended to mean "small" in the sense of a "miniature" waltz, given by its publisher. Chopin did not intend for this waltz to be played in one minute. A typical performance of the work will last between 1+1⁄2 and 2+1⁄2 minutes. The waltz is 140 measures long with one fifteen-measure repeat included, and thus it would have to be played at almost 420 quarter notes per minute in order to play it completely within a single minute. Playing the piece as fast as possible is still a feat some pianists attempt. Camille Bourniquel, one of Chopin's biographers, reminds the reader that Chopin got the inspiration for this waltz as he was watching a small dog chase its tail, which prompted the composer to name the piece Valse du petit chien, meaning "The Little Dog Waltz".

Derivative works A vocal version of the piece, with lyrics by screenwriter Lan O'Kun, has been performed by multiple artists, including Barbra Streisand on her 1966 album Color Me Barbra, her version peaked at #23 in the Billboard's Easy Listening chart. O'Kun's lyrics perpetuate the notion that the tune should be performed in one minute, although Streisand's performance clocks in at just under two minutes. Because the lower notes were hard to reach, Streisand finished up the ending phrases in a spoken voice. This version was also performed by a female Muppet on the 1969–70 premiere season of Sesame Street. That same version was also used for a skit on Captain Kangaroo in the 1970s. New Orleans rhythm and blues pianist James Booker included an instrumental version on his album Junco Partner (1976). The composers Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, Rafael Joseffy, Max Reger, Leopold Godowsky, Jeannot Heinen, Moriz Rosenthal, Giuseppe Ferrata, Sam Raphling, Marc-André Hamelin, and Bertold Hummel created paraphrases of the "Minute Waltz".

References

External links

"Minute Waltz": Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Free sheet music of the "Minute Waltz" from Cantorion.org Quatre Mains version for piano duet Free recording of the "Minute Waltz", pianoparadise.com

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Minute Waltz

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Minute Waltz claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Minute Waltz before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Minute Waltz ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Minute Waltz

In research: Minute Waltz appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Minute Waltz in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Minute Waltz is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1847 compositions, Barbra Streisand songs, Compositions in D-flat major, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Minute Waltz outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Minute Waltz in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Minute Waltz means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Minute Waltz out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Minute Waltz in simple terms?

Why does Minute Waltz matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Minute Waltz?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Minute Waltz.