Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Art-For-Art’s-Sake Theatre: Barbra Streisand “The Minute Waltz”

Time once again for our usual midday Wednesday feature.

The Waltz in D flat major, Opus 64, Number 1, popularly known as The Minute Waltz (Valse du petit chien), is a waltz for solo piano by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). Although the term "minute" means "small" (pronounced "my-NOOT"), most people assume it refers to sixty seconds. Actually, the piece runs anywhere from one and a half to two and a half minutes. But that doesn't stop some pianists from trying. Nor did it stop television writer Lan O'Kun from writing lyrics for the tune to reflect the notion, as demonstrated by Barbra Streisand, both on her 1966 Columbia album Color Me Barbra, and on a CBS Television special that same year.

In the sixth grade, Katie McDermott led a few of the girls in serenading me with this number on the school playground. Don't ask me why.
 

1 comment:

Gail F said...

It is actually called "Waltz of the little dog"??? Really?? What dog? Whose dog? Is it FOR a dog, or inspired by a dog, or is the dog supposed to have written it? I'm goign to be thinking about that all day...