“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”.
for: Concert Band/Harmonie and 2 Trumpets
Score
Item no.: 958450
for: Concert Band/Harmonie and 3 Clarinets
Score, Parts
Item no.: 958337
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 958284
for: KLAR (FLHRN/THRN) CD
Playback-CD (without sheet music)
Item no.: 247151
for: Zither (5 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 150891
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1169918
for: Women's choir, piano
Score
Item no.: 329479
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 643780
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1711913
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1712045
for: Brass ensemble (6 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1688133
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1712099
for: Small wind band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 180314
for: Small wind band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 268777
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 347383
for: 2 tenor horns, concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 430609
for: Youth concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1696460
for: Blasorchester
Item no.: 1682986
for: Blasorchester
Item no.: 1682983
for: Blasorchester
Item no.: 1682970
for: Blasorchester
Item no.: 1682809
for: Blasorchester
Item no.: 1682612
for: Trumpet, small wind band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 1566946
for: Concert band
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1562617
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1559140
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1053300
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 959073
for: Small wind band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 957661
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 939030
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 894848
for: Melody instrument (C/B-flat/E-flat/C low); rhythm group (piano, guitar, bass, drums) ad lib.
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 586735
for: Violin, piano
Score
Item no.: 240893
for: Wind ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1560489
for: Voice, piano [guitar/keyboard]
Single edition PVG (Piano/Vocal/Guitar)
Item no.: 655310
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 626284
for: 2 clarinets, concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 371177
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 579043
for: Voice, piano [guitar/keyboard]
Songbook PVG (Piano/Vocal/Guitar)
Item no.: 687737
for: Diatonic accordion
Music score
Item no.: 1688002
Schnellpolka für Blasorchester
for: Small wind band
Conductors part, set of parts
Item no.: 552078
Polka schnell für Orchester | Kritische Gesamtausgabe
for: Orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 747934
for: Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Instrumental Duet
Item no.: 1638619
op. 214
for: Salon orchestra
Piano part for conductor, Parts
Item no.: 757240
for: Small wind band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1714771
for: Concert band; voice ad lib.
Conductors part (C), Parts
Item no.: 1714755
composed for a young elephant
for: Saxophon-Quartett (SATBar)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 752772
for: Concert Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1187755
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1187461
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