Cracovienne

[RobMac]

Cracovienne - what does it mean?

Also: Keemo Kimo?

Rob MacKillop

[JChumley]

That I believe is the Frenchified version of a Polish dance that is probably spelled some way that I could never guess. I ran across it somewhere, probably some music lit class or piano class or something.

Jeff

[Timothy Twiss]

It is a dance...Poland I believe.

[Rob MacKillop]

Hmm. Interesting. I thought it one of the least European-sounding pieces in Briggs. I thought of Krakov (played there once) but assumed I must be wrong.

 

Rob

2008/9/15 Timothy Twiss <milfor...@comcast.net>

[Timothy Twiss]

… get used to weird titles that have nothing to do with the song.

More to come…

 

 

---

<br

[razyn]

Could be wrong, but I *think* the dance title means "girl from Krakow
(Poland);" as also Varsovienne is a dance, but means "girl from
Warsaw." There are a bunch of these, not always Polish, or Slavic (or
Frenchified -- or Italicized, like Varsoviana). The feminine
diminutive endings "-ushka" and "-inka," or regular sized "-ina," are
used in many Russian song titles, e.g Verkhovina, "female
hillbilly" (more or less).

Anyhow, the name once had something to do with the song; but maybe we
now have words in another language that fit the tune of a song that
was originally (in another time, place, and culture) about, e.g., a
girl from Krakow. And of course in lots of other languages -- Girl
from Ipanema (has a Portuguese name I've forgotten), Guantanamera, New
York Girls, whatever. Popular topic to sing about. Almost makes me
want to dance... naaah.

Dick

[Carl Anderton]

Also, the Cracovienne was one of the dances regularly featured in the
early minstrel show, a "fad" I think you could call it. Another one
was the "Cachucha."

[Joel H.]

According to my ever-at-hand "Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music,"
"Krakowiak, Cracovienne (kra-KAW-vyak, kra-ko-VYEN). A Polish dance
named after the city of Cracow. The music is in quick 2/4 time. It
was in vogue in the earlier part of the 19th century, and was executed
by large groups, with shouting, improvised singing, and striking of
the heels. Chopin wrote a Krakowiak for piano and orchestra (op.
14)."
"Varsovienne (vahr-so-VYEN:F.). A Polish dance, named after the city
of Warsaw (F., Varsovie), in slow mazurka rhythm, usually with an
accented dotted note on the first beat of each second measure. It was
popular in ballrooms from about 1850 to 1870."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraków

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw

[RaiseTheHatchet]

curious about keemo kimo myself came across

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/master/kemokimo1.html