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Title
Grand polka di bravura: pour piano
Names
Kuhe, Wilhelm, 1823-1912 (Composer)
Pietro Mechetti quondam Carlo (Firm) (Publisher)
Collection

Prints depicting dance

Theatrical dancers, singly or in pairs

Dates / Origin
Date Issued: 1840 - 1849
Place: Vienne
Publisher: Pietro Mechetti qm. Carlo
Library locations
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZFX Pol 7
Topics
Dancers -- 19th century
Polkas
Piano music
Genres
Prints
Sheet music covers
Scores
Notes
Statement of responsibility: par Guill[aume] Kuhe.
Caption title.
Numbering: Oeuvre 19.
At head of title: À son ami F. Schulhoff.
Statement of responsibility: Lith. de la Cour Imp. et Rle. de A. Grube, Vienne.
Acquisition: Gift; Lillian Moore.
Biographical/historical: The polka enjoyed enormous popularity both as a dance and a musical form. Although opinions about its origins differ, it is believed to have roots in Poland or Bohemia. It was brought to Prague in 1837 and made its way to Vienna, St. Petersburg, Paris, and London. Capitalizing on its growing popularity as a ballroom dance, Jules Perrot and Carlotta Grisi introduced it to the ballet stage in 1844. In the mid 1800s, it rivalled the waltz as a dance craze. It has survived into the twenty-first century, and until 2009 was included as a category in the Grammy Awards.
Physical Description
Extent: 1 print : lithograph, b&w ; 33 x 26 cm. + music score (9 p.)
Description
Sheet music cover illustration including small images of three dancing couples, the largest pair only about 5 cm. high. Their costumes indicate that they are theatrical dancers, though they are framed by decorative trellises, draperies, and foliage rather than a stage set. Musicians on an elevated stand play behind the central couple. Although the dancers are not dressed in folk costume, their poses may be meant to suggest a theatricalized form of the polka.
Type of Resource
Still image
Notated music
Identifiers
RLIN/OCLC: 825122199
Publisher's music plate number: P. M. No. 4379 : Pietro Mechetti
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19758989
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 9bae2800-89be-0134-8e4c-00505686a51c
Rights Statement
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Item timeline of events

  • 1823: Creator Born
  • 1840: Issued (Approximate)
  • 1912: Creator Died
  • 2019: Digitized
  • 2025: Found by you!
  • 2026

MLA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Grand polka di bravura" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1840 - 1849. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8d1e7340-8cc7-0134-ae42-00505686a51c

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Grand polka di bravura" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed January 15, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8d1e7340-8cc7-0134-ae42-00505686a51c

APA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (1840 - 1849). Grand polka di bravura Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8d1e7340-8cc7-0134-ae42-00505686a51c

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8d1e7340-8cc7-0134-ae42-00505686a51c | title= (still image) Grand polka di bravura, (1840 - 1849) |author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=January 15, 2025 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Grand polka di bravura