It is common that one of the most famous melodies in the world, which people even distant from music are able to play the piano, wrote Frederick Chopin. We checked whether this is so.

A short musical play, which in Russia is known as “Dog Waltz”, is often attributed to the great Polish composer. Moreover, not only people from classical music do this, but also themselves Performers. Despite the apparent simplicity, the play in all its variations and arrangements is very popular in a professional environment. In particular, the mention of Chopin in the credits can be found on the channels Military Musical Center for the Ground Forces The Armed Forces of Ukraine and the famous Moscow Musical School "Virtuosa". Lovers of literature can be familiar with the following quote from the play by Mikhail Zoshchenko “Dear Comrade” (1930):

“And in order not to get boring-a teacher, Madame Ershov, in the order of public burden, let us compose something divine on the piano, some dog waltz chopen there ...”.

First of all, it should be noted that the name "dog waltz" is practically anywhere outside the post -Soviet space behind this play is not fixed. In 1994, the Japanese musicologist Hiromi Oketani published an article about the results of her research on this subject. So the world learned that in Japan itself an uncomplicated work in Russian is called "I stepped on a cat." Cat sentiments also prevail in Bulgaria, Finland, Korea, but in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway, they know the play as a “flea waltz”. In Mexico, these are “small monkeys”, in Hungary - “donkey march”, in China - “march march”. The Spaniards call the play in honor of the dishes - “Chocolate”, and in many other European countries, a funny work is “gastronomic” names: in France and Poland - “cutlets”, in Switzerland - “cutlet roller”, in Denmark - “meatballs run through the fence”. The Swedes call the Calle Johansson melody, and the same is to blame for the same name Song of 1962 Tore Skogman.

Another important fact is that Frederick Chopin really has a work that is known as “dog waltz” in everyday life. We are talking about waltz re -Bemol Major OP. 64 No. 1, whose melody is also well known to many of you performed by the most outstanding pianists of your time. Here, for example, is the option of Arthur Rubinstein:

The publishers dubbed this short play “The Minute Waltz”, but Chopen himself called it “Waltz of a Little Dog”. One of versions, Waltz asked to devote to the dog’s lover, Georges Sand asked. By anotherChopin inspired his own puppy, gracefully trying to catch his tail. One way or another, but the name has taken root and today remains in wide use - both in the form of a “waltz of a small dog” and in the form of a “dog waltz”. Most likely, it was this work that Mikhail Ivanovich Zoshchenko had in mind, because the definition of Chopin’s “Divine” play is really more suitable. And officially it is dedicated to another composer’s museum - Countess Dolphin Pototskaya.

As for the authorship of the same thing that the “dog waltz” is called by children and adults of the post -Soviet space, it is not determined to this day. It is reliably known that in the notes of more or less famous composers this melody is not found. On sale you can meet the book of Germans Eric Bauman "Composer Ferdinand Lo and his opus Magnum -" Flea Waltz ". However, this biography is nothing more than a mystification, and the initial with the name F. Loh are derived from the word Floh (“flea”). According to the existing information “Dog Waltz” to date, it is quite possible to call a popular melody.