Ascending Cadence Gestures in Waltzes by Johann Strauss, sr.

Rising melodic figures have a long history in cadences in European music of all genres. This essay documents examples from an especially influential repertoire of social dance music, the Viennese waltz in the first half of the 19th century. The two most important figures were both violinists, orchestra leaders, and composers: Josef Lanner (d. 1843) and Johann Strauss, sr. (d. 1849). Strauss is the focus here, through twenty five waltz sets published between 1827 and 1848.