Polka masterpieces. Recommended popular songs.
Are you familiar with “polka,” a Czech folk music genre with a simple, friendly melody and a fast tempo that makes you want to move your body? Even if you don’t know the name of the genre, many people will recognize it when they hear a famous polka tune.
In Japan, it has even been featured for children on the TV program Minna no Uta, and interestingly, some polka songs became well-known in the 2000s through Flash animations and performances by Hatsune Miku.
This article is a collection of delightful polka classics—please enjoy them together with your children!
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Polka masterpieces. Recommended popular songs (1–10)
Hunting
A polka composed by Johann Strauss II, inspired by “Oh, My Steed” from the operetta Cagliostro in Vienna, written in 1875.
Although this operetta has nothing to do with hunting, it’s said that music with a hunting character was created using motifs that appear in the work.
The horns and trumpets signal the hunting calls, and the expressions of whip cracks and gunshots are key features of the piece.
Its brisk rhythm makes it catchy and a great recommendation for children to listen to!
a woman’s heart
The polka “Women’s Hearts,” one of Josef Strauss’s signature works.
In contrast to the cheerful image typically associated with polkas, this piece is striking for its beautiful violin tone.
It is said to have been written for his beloved wife, Karoline, but some say it reflects the feelings of the heroine from the novel that lent its title to Josef’s famed work “The Village Swallows of Austria.” Lively, dance-like polkas are wonderful, of course, but it might be nice once in a while to lend an ear to a gentle, heartfelt piece like “Women’s Hearts.”
Clarinet Polka
One of the polkas said to have its origins in a Polish folk song.
A distinctive feature of this piece is that there are various accounts of when and by whom it was composed.
As the title suggests, it is often performed as a clarinet solo or ensemble, but there appear to be many performance formats, such as collaborations with accordion or yodeling.
The clarinet’s rapid arpeggios are beautiful, and it stays lively and enjoyable right to the end! It’s also a great piece for children to learn the names of instruments and their timbres.
Liechtenstein Polka
A polka that became a hit in 1957 thanks to a performance by German accordionist Will Glahé.
Glahé was dubbed the King of Polka after his 1939 cover of Beer Barrel Polka became a massive hit across the United States.
The accordion’s bright tone gives it a lively melody that makes your body move on its own! Germany brings to mind beer and sausages, and this tune is also known as a drinking song.
It might be a great piece for getting familiar with the German language!
Explosive Polka
It’s a polka composed by Johann Strauss II and can be considered one of the most popular pieces among his works.
The word “explosion” in the title is said to have been inspired by the German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein, who invented the cotton-like explosive nitrocellulose.
The term “explosion” even later became a buzzword among young people! It’s an entertaining piece that depicts explosions with cymbals and drums, and it culminates at the end with a big explosive sound.