Tracks 2-4: Tadeusz Wesolowski's Accordions Ensemble
Track 5: M. Janicz's Instrumental Ensemble
Tracks 6-12: Feliks Dzierzanowski's Polish Folk Band
Tracks 13-14: Jerzy Witkowski's Accordions Ensemble
Tracks 15-22: Stefan Maciejewski's Clarinets Ensemble
Tracks 23-29: Karol Namyslowski's "Wloscianska " Orchestra
Track 30: Jan Pruszak's Accordions Ensemble
Recorded:
1967-1978, archival recordings from Polskie Nagrania's archives
About:
The modern Polish-American favorite dance, the polka is a lively couple-dance in a moderately fast duple meter. Because of its acceptance as a ethnic symbol by Polish immigrants to North America, the polka is gradually increasing its position among Polish dances and is often present in the repertoire of Polish folk dance ensembles in the U.S. The dance, however, is not Polish; it is not enumerated among the five "national" dances of Poland which include: polonaise, kujawiak, mazur, oberek, and krakowiak.
According to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the polka originated in Bohemia around 1830 as a round-dance, and became popular throughout Europe and in America in the course of the 19th century. The name "polka" is derived from Czech words for "field" or "half;" in other interpretations the name relates to the Czech term for a Polish girl, "polska," in reference to the krakowiak dance-songs which the Bohemians adopted for their polkas. It is interesting to note that the word "Polka" means "Polish woman" in Polish. Music with the polka's characteristics appears in various collections written about 1800 for practical use by village musicians. In the 19th century polkas were composed by the leading composers of ballroom music of the 19th century (including both Johann Strausses); examples occur in art music by Smetana, Dvorak, and others. In the following years polka was performed in many countries all over the world such as Austria, France, England, USA and India. It attained extraordinary popularity, so much so that clothes, hats, streets and even dishes were named after it (e.g. "polka dots").
The 19th-century polka was characterized by a frequent occurrence of a rhythmic motive consisting of two sixteenths followed by an eightnote. At that time the tempo of the polka was that of military march played rather slowly, at 52 bars (MM=104) per minute. The music was usually in ternary form with eight-bar sections, sometimes with a brief introduction and a coda. Such polkas were cultivated by all the leading ballroom dance composers of the latter part of the 19th century.
Among contemporary popular and ethnic dance genres, the polka has kept its image of the working-class dance providing enjoyment and relaxation after long days of hard, physical labor. With the "polka happiness" providing the keyword to its meaning (term borrowed from the title of a 1992 study by Charles and Angeliki Keil), the dance is slowly gaining popularity as a recreational activity for amateur dancers who relish the polka's lively tempo and enjoy the strenuous exercise that it provides. The musical styles continue to evolve and the Polish-American polka remains one of the few dances historically linked to Poland which are alive in social practice. The krakowiaks, mazurs or zbójnickis are exhibition dances performed by semi-professional Polish folk dance ensembles for Polish and American audiences. The polonaise kept its function as a high-status musical symbol of Polishness (and its name appears in several balls of Polish-American cultural organizations). Only the polka is danced by everyone.
