Home > Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music > Ländler

(Ger.; Fr. Tyrolienne). A slow folk dance of the German-speaking areas of Europe in or time, a precursor of the 19th-century WALTZ.

The Ländler dates from the 17th century and has been known under numerous names, including the German dances (DEUTSCHER TANZ) written by FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN and WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART and intended for courtly dancers. In its original form, it was an outdoor dance, with hopping, stamping, and passing under while the couple holds each other by the waist. Songs associated with this music might include YODELING.

The Ländler survived into the 19th century, but it evolved into a faster, more refined, and lighter dance. By the early 20th century, the music of the Ländler held great nostalgic value for Austrian composers such as GUSTAV MAHLER and ALBAN BERG.