“To dance is human, to polka is divine” K.D. Lang, Canadian Singer-Songwriter
If you think that the polka is originally a Polish dance, then you are way off! This popular dance is one of the cultural treasures of another small middle European country. If you would like to know more about the origins of this Czech dance, then browse our sheet music & scores, and explore all the marvellous Polkas Stretta has to offer!
It is no longer known exactly where and when the polka came to be, but from the early 19th century the predecessor of the polka, the “Nimra”, was becoming very popular. The next development was the “Maděra”, which was then renamed to the “Půlka”, which was later renamed the Polka.
The polka was already well known around Europe, and by the 1840s, and it had become one of the favourite dances in the courts of Vienna. Johann Strauss I was also fascinated by the polka in Prague, and subsequently composed several polkas himself. The polka was also very popular with the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, who composed polkas for piano, and also used them in his symphonic and operatic works including Vltava and The Bartered Bride.
Like many other folk dances, the polka found its way into the ballets of the 19th century, in the form of the “Polka Hongroise” or “French Polka”, particularly in works by Léo Delibes. In Vienna the “Polka Schnell” or “Quick Polka” was also popular for a long time, often penned by Johann Strauss II.
One of the most famous polka melodies, which has travelled the world in many different versions, is Jaromír Vejvoda’s “Škoda lásky” known also as “Rosamunde” or “The Beer Barrel Polka”.
Polka schnell
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1560318
for: Small wind band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1611898
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1559963
Schnellpolka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1558229
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 669833
Polka schnell op. 112
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1645103
Polka schnell, DoppelNummr mit Vancura, A.: Charmant u. galant. Intermezzo
for: Small wind band
Item no.: 304444
(from the ballet Sylvia)
Highland/Etling Strictly Strings
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 942731
2 Polkas
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1566929
Solistische Polka für Bläsersextett und Blasorchester
for: Small wind band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1610705
Konzertmarsch
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1610679
im James Last Happy Sound
for: Concert band
Score, conductor's part, orchestral parts
Item no.: 1596263
2 Polkas
Günter Eberle und seine Musikanten
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 293978
Polka Potpourri
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 193975
Polka française
Diletto Musicale – Doblingers Reihe alter Musik
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 305305
DILETTO MUSICALE
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 637825
(Es lebe der Ungar)
Schnellpolka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1615990
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192705
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192747
Konzertpolka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562486
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1166647
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192689
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192629
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192606
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1169561
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1566676
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192623
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1642808
Polka française op. 309
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632470
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632422
Schnell–Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1641198
Konzertpolka
for: 2 clarinets, concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632435
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1638969
Polka schnell op. 228
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632409
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1639357
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632334
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 648272
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1641201
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632484
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632274
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632332
Polka–Mazurka op. 330
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632402
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1639394
Polka mazur op. 144
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1641775
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1642880
Marsch-Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1639492
Polka
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632224
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1632358
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