This online course, offered through Lifetime Learners Institute, explores the surprising history of the waltz and the music that shaped it. The class starts on Wednesday, September 17th. It meets for eight weeks (September 17, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5,12) from 10:30 am to Noon Eastern time.
Course Description
Condemned at one time for “the voluptuous intertwining of the limbs and close compression of the bodies,” the waltz has flourished over some 200 years as one of the wonders of 3/4 time. Defying categorization, it straddles class, culture, genre, and style. And this year happens to be the 200th anniversary of the birth of “The Waltz King,” Johann Strauss II.
We begin in The Sound of Music countryside as we learn about the Ländler, a couples’ dance and the primary folk source of the waltz. Our next stop is Vienna, where we meet Joseph Lanner, a celebrity dance band pioneer during the Congress of Vienna (1815-16) and beyond, who created an historic “book” of his own music.
Highlights from the later 19th and early 20th centuries feature the music of Chopin, Brahms, Gounod, Liszt, the Waltz King (Johann Strauss II), Tchaikovsky, Léhar, Richard Strauss, and Puccini.
Waltzes in American popular music, Broadway shows, movies, and jazz make up the balance of the course. Composers, iconic performers, and producers include Al Jolson, Richard Rodgers, Dimitri Shostakovich, Benny Goodman, and Dave Brubeck.
Week by Week Breakdown
Week 1: From countryside to city, including Lanner, Schubert
Week 2: Chopin and Brahms work their magic
Week 3: Waltzing with the devil
Week 4: “Waltz King” Johann Strauss II and a family dynasty
Week 5: A mix of decadence and nobility, Ravel-style
Week 6: “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” waltz treasures of Richard Rodgers
Week 7: “Someday my prince will come,” Miles Davis and other jazz men
Week 8: Dave Brubeck, the Nonesuch Waltz Project
Here is the link to sign up: https://reg139.imperisoft.com/LifetimeLearners/Search/Registration.aspx
When you arrive at the Lifetime Learners page, look for Joshua Berrett’s name in the column on the left. Check the box beside his name and you’ll be taken to the course description and registration form (see below). The course will be a lot of fun.
NOTE: There is a yearly membership fee ($60) to join Lifetime Learners Institute in Norwalk, CT . Each 8-session course offered costs $50 more.
About Your Instructor Joshua Berrett
Joshua Berrett earned a BA from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, an MA from Columbia University, and a PhD from the University of Michigan. He has also studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and the Tanglewood Music Center. He is a Professor Emeritus at Mercy University, a freelance violinist, and the author of many publications on music. He has made presentations nationally, appeared on NPR, and lectured abroad in such countries as Italy, Israel, and South Africa. With his wife, Lynne, he is co-founder of the non-profit Ageless Mind Project, Inc.
Copyright 2025 by Joshua Berrett. All Rights Reserved.
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