ABSTRACT
Much of the repertoire that the old-time fiddler plays dates from at least the late eighteenth century. Many reels, hornpipes, and jigs at the heart of the Anglo-Celtic fiddle tradition originate from this time. One dance was newer: the waltz. No dance and few cultural developments have had a greater impact on the collective consciousness of Europe and America than the waltz did at the beginning of the nineteenth century. A study of imprints between 1800 and 1825 allows us to pinpoint the waltz’s arrival in the United States between 1815 and 1825, with its popularity soaring in the early 1820s. Like its European sibling, it sent a moral shock throughout the country. The greatest surprise in examining early waltz imprints is the overwhelming popularity of Mozart as a waltz composer, far beyond any other composer. Why Mozart, especially since he wrote no waltzes? The answer is found in how Mozart was perceived (not the same as the extent his music was known) in the early nineteenth century. Mozart’s reputation paired well with the waltzes, something that sheds light both on the way music in general was viewed, and social and moral attitudes of the time.
