Introduction

Summary

In 1810, an article appeared in the Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung on the current state of dance music in Bohemia. The author cited its general appeal as one of the merits of this repertoire. Its short and simple melodies could be enjoyed even by uncultured people with little appreciation for symphonies and cantatas. At the same time, dance music was becoming increasingly sophisticated, particularly in the hands of recent composers who had stretched the traditional boundaries of form and instrumentation. The author nevertheless acknowledged that the sheer quantity of music required for each new carnival season had resulted in a flood of poor-quality music, amongst which even the good dance music was sometimes lost. When ballroom orchestras rehearsed the new season’s repertoire, the music had to be transported in a wheelbarrow, and the rehearsals themselves sometimes lasted half a day.