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I love the Waltz, It is the most elegant of dances and the first ballroom dance I learned as a child.
Sadly, through the fifties and sixties ballroom dancing was replaced by The Jive, the twist, the shake etc. This was a rebellion of youth and I feel, stated 'We don't want to dance like our parents, we want to do our own thing.' Anyone who indulged in Ballroom dancing was considered 'square' !
Who can forget the immortal scene from the wonderful musical 'The King and I', where Anna, the governess to the king's children, teaches him to Waltz, in readiness for a forthcoming ball to be held at The Imperial Palace.
There is a more obscure musical by Rogers and Sondheim called, 'Do I Hear a Waltz'.
The story line was about an unmarried American secretary of a certain age, goes on vacation to Venice, where she falls in love with a married man, who has no intention of ending his happy marriage and family life, to be with her.
'Might it be better than never having loved at all'?
The title song of the film was recorded by many famous American singers including Peggy Lee and Eydie Gorme.
Sadly after several stagings and the film, it was never the success it was hoped to be. Such a shame as it had a good story line, fine actors and the greatest writers of all time.
Quite some time ago I was in a ladies choir and we used to sing many songs from the musicals including 'Do I Hear a Waltz?' I must confess to not knowing this song but our conductor had an uncanny knack of introducing us to quite a few obscure pieces which we grew to love, including this one !
We had a wonderful soloist called Edith who would sing 'Do I hear a Waltz'. She had a fine mezzo soprano voice and sang this song with such clarity and feeling that I often wondered if there was more to it than we knew, You see, Edith was a lady 'of a certain age' and had never married! We knew little of her private life as she was a very private person, who lived alone in a fine apartment with her much adored cat. Enrico.
I'd like you to read the lyrics of this most enchanting song and tell me if you hear a Waltz ?
Do I Hear a Waltz?
Do I hear a waltz
Very odd but true
There isn't a band
And I don't hear it at all.
Oh my Lord, there it goes again!
Why is nobody dancing in the street
Can't they hear the beat?
Magical, mystical miracle,
Can't it be?
Is it true?
Things are impossibly lyrical
Is it me?
No it's you!
I do hear a waltz
I see you and I hear a waltz-
It's what I've been waiting for all my life to hear a waltz
.
Do I hear a waltz?
Oh my dear don't you hear a waltz?
Such lovely Blue Danubey music
How can you be still?
You must hear a waltz
Even strangers are dancing now
An old lady is waltzing in her flat
WALTZING with her cat.
Roses are dancing with peonies,
yes it's true!
Don't you see?
Everything's Viennese,
Can't be you!
Must be me!
Do I hear a WALTZ:
I wan't you to share it 'cause
Oh boy, do I hear a WALTZ.
What I really wonder is.....
Did Edith hear her waltz and did she dance in her flat,
Waltz with her cat, ?
I heard my WALTZ when I had my first date with my husband Ian, I wasn't long divorced and had no intention of looking for somebody else. We went to our local WI Annual Christmas Dance, we had been introduced by mutual friends.. we chatted most of the night then, the band struck up....would you believe, a WALTZ.. we danced all night and have been together now for 33 years...Yes........ and I still hear a WALTZ!
My apologies for such a long piece but I really couldn't leave anything out without telling the full story!
My sincere thanks to the WONDERFUL Denise for devising ABCW and the WORDSMITH Roger for his hard WORK in the admin of ABCW.
My first waltz was in 2nd grade with a girl named Carol. Minuet in G.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet Roger. my waltz was a Strauss's piece, 'The Blue Danube',
DeleteI learned to play this on the piano when I was quite young!.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Wow! So romantic!
ReplyDeleteHi Lotus Leaf,
DeleteWell. we all need a bit of romance in our life,
don't you think ?
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
I find it amazing you all remember your first watlz... I don't... I'm lucky if I remember all my daily appointments... LOL But sweet post Thanks :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Meryl,
DeleteGood to hear from you and thanks for your kind comments,
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team,
Wonderful choice for W! Such an elegant dance and so lovely to watch!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen,
DeleteThere seems to be a revival of ballroom dancing in the UK, due mainly to a programme called
Strictly Come Dancing, it is incredibly popular, I don't know if you get it in the US, well worth a watch!
Thank you for your comments.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
My first waltz was with my mother, when I was a toddler. She was my first ever dance instructor. The knowledge was very useful when I escorted my high school girlfriend when she was a debutant.
ReplyDeleteI hear the waltz in my head. I was lucky that I had a momma who taught me how to dance when I was in grade school. She taught my younger brother too, but she had to bribe him with quarters, lol!
ReplyDeletehello Norma, good to hear from you,
DeleteIt seems that nearly all of us learned to waltz with the help of our Mama's.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Hi Arnoldo
ReplyDelete, It seems most youngsters have their first waltz with their Mama's
. I can remember standing on my dad's feet whilst he waltzed me around the kitchen.
best wishes,
DI.
ABCW team.
Really lovely to learn of your story :)
ReplyDeleteMay the good times & waltz continue for life!
Have a wow week :)
Hi Anita, Thanks for you kind comments and I wish the same for you too,
DeleteU hope your week is good,
best wishes,
Di,
ABCW team.
What a wonderful word and a wicked introduction! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy "W" stands for WET, WINTRY WEATHER!
Nick V:
DeleteHello thanks for your kind WORDS too!
WE have WET WINTRY WEATHER here and it should be summertime.... typical British weather !
Best wishes,
Di, ABCW team.
I love your post. I wonder, too, if Edith heard a waltz and danced with her cat. The storyline of the musical is similar to the 1955 movie "Summertime" with Katherine Hepburn, which was filmed in Venice. That's one of my favorite movies. I wonder if the movie was based on the musical or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteHi Susie,
DeleteDo you know, I always felt that Edith did waltz with her cat and dream of a lost love, She did enjoy going to Italy with her
sister Nell, to whom she was devoted.
Edith lived to the grand age of 97, wonderful lady.
I read up about the movie Summertime with Katherine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi, I would love to see that
, I'm going over to Amazon later to see if there is a copy available.
I also read on Wiki that the musical was based on the original film Summertime.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team,
I must look for the musical then. I was going to say Rossano Brazzi should've been cast in the musical, but I went and checked, nope that wasn't him singing in South Pacific. He did a very good job pretending to sing. I can see a story beginning with Edith waltzing around the room with her cat and then flashbacking into her memory of that time in Venice, maybe being there while Summertime is being made. Ooooh.
DeleteOoh I say! Susie, we could have a winner there,
DeleteI'd like there to be a twist in tale perhaps with Edith returning to Venice and 'accidentally' meeting her
lost love, who 'incidentally' is a widower and working on the set of Summertime as an extra!
if you go onto google.
there are a few versions of the song, I love it, I know it word for word, I
t's a difficult tune and almost spoken in parts. try it and see!
I'd love to know what you think?
Best wishes,
Di xx
I listened to Eydie Gorme's version—I loved it! The tune sounds familiar. I may have heard it when I was a kid. I see what you mean. I was swaying with music and could imagine myself waltzing about as I sing this song. I was already singing the chorus with Eydie. The Husband was drumming on his desk to the beat. He thought Doris Day was singing. I must go see if she has a version. The song would've been perfect for her. Thanks, Di!
DeleteI like the idea of Edith and her last love reuniting, and that he was an extra on the movie. Oooh, for the last scene, the two of them are dancing to this song. It's their wedding song. They are transformed to their younger selves. Magical. :-) We are both romantics, aren't we?
hello again Susie, You're right, Eydie Gorme's version is by far the best, what a voice!
DeleteDoris Day would make a good job of it too.
I like your take on the last scene Magical indeed!
Maybe we should ask Berowne, the quiz man blogger to write it for us...
Romantic and a dreamer too....such fun!
love Di xx
.Of course we would want our cut of the runaway success it will be!
Hmmm. I purchased a screenwriting workbook a couple of years for the fun of it, but I haven't opened it yet. Maybe I ought to. :-)
DeleteYou must ! xx
DeleteI love the waltz, I'm afraid the gentle dance is a distant memory for most people.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Hi Ann,
DeleteSo good to hear from you again, and yes, sadly, the waltz is a distant memory for many people,
but, if I reminisce, I can still hear my waltz !
Golden memories.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
I never learn to waltz tho I have always enjoy watching the King and I
ReplyDeleteFritz Ant:
ReplyDeleteHello, thanks for stopping by and your comments.
The King and I is a lovely film, I have a DVD of it, I must watch it again.
best wishes,
Di,
ABCW team.
This is such an interesting post. I loved your waltz musings
ReplyDeleteHi Ruby, thanks for stopping by my blog and for your comments.
ReplyDeleteyes Susie and I are really on the case of writing a new version of the movie.. (if only)?
best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.