“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”.
Tschechische Noten
for: Small wind band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 681089
for: 2 marimbas
Item no.: 177635
Prženska Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 192520
Marschpolka
for: Small wind band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 445467
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562891
Am Schlossberg
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562890
Marsch–Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562883
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1562772
Bravour–Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562619
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562127
Böhmische Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562012
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1562000
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1560884
Konzertpolka
for: Concert band
Score, Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1355877
Altbairische Blasmusik
for: 2 trumpets, concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 228134
for: Small wind band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 483771
für Salonorchester (Klavier, Singstimme, Streicher, Schlagzeug)
for: Salon orchestra
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 260839
for: 4 Klarinetten
Buch
Item no.: 368202
Böhmische Polka
for: Small wind band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 366101
Zwei Polkas
Ernst Mosch und seine Original Egerländer Musikanten
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1560498
Einzelausgabe
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 410785
for: Big band [band/salon orchestra]
Item no.: 410617
Polka schnell op. 228
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632409
for: Euphonium, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 619497
(Es lebe der Ungar)
Schnellpolka
for: Concert band
Conductors part (B-flat), set of parts
Item no.: 1615990
Polka schnell
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 670493
"Southbrass"
Polka
for: Brass ensemble (6 voices), percussion
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1208972
Polkas und Walzer für Blechbläser
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), 2 trombones; accordion, percussion ad lib.tet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 778671
Polka
Kurt Pascher und seine Original Böhmerwälder Musikanten
Edition Bergsee
for: Small wind band
Score, Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1557336
Polka
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1701511
Polka und Walzer
aus dem Repertoire der Original Egerländer Musikanten
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1559959
for: 4 Klarinetten
Buch
Item no.: 617865
Polka
for: Small wind band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1019969
Polka
Deine Blasmusik Edition
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1012993
Marienlieder–Polka–Potpourri
Originalausgabe von "Hergolshäuser Musikanten"
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1581953
for: Clarinet (E-flat)
Item no.: 549243
mit Saxophon- und Schweizer Stimmen – aus der ZDF-Sendung "Lustige Musikanten"
Robert Payer und seine Original-Burgenkapelle
for: Concert band [Small wind band]
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 111268
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 374878
Polka
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 697030
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 484653
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 470483
Klassik
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 275288
Polka
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 657475
Marschpolka
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 656298
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1192705
Polka
Böhmerwälder Musikanten
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 681319
Polka
for: Concert band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 291246
Der Musikalische Salon Vol. 19
for: Streichquartett, Kontrabass (ad libitum)
Score, part
Item no.: 475258