The waltz : its pervasiveness in the first half of the nineteenth century, and its transformation into a symbol of the Biedermeierzeit in the works of Joseph Lanner, Johann Strauss and Franz Schubert /

This thesis documents the prevalence of the waltz in the first half of the nineteenth century, examining the cultural significance of its general popularity and its manifestations in the works of Joseph Lanner, Johann Strauss, Sr., and Franz Schubert. This study contends that the waltz was a refinement of the dance commonly known as the Landler and that this transformation was the result of the commercialization of the traditions of casual tavern and outdoor entertainment, and the consequent acceptance of the waltz into the upper echelons of society. The thesis concludes that the ascendancy of the waltz paralleled the political ascendancy of the bourgeoisie, and that the waltz is more specifically a potent symbol of the Biedermeierzeit in Austria, with Lanner and Strauss representing the public face of the Biedermeier temperament and Schubert the private face.Arts, Faculty ofMusic, School ofGraduat