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Donald Macleod takes a whirl around the world through the music of ballroom dancing, as we count down to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 3’s Day of Dance on Friday 8th November. With the help of Hilary French, author of Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing, Donald waltzes across Viennese ballrooms, foxtrots through New York clubs, tries the tango in the arrabales of Buenos Aires, sambas on the streets of Salvador and finally cha-cha-chas his way to Havana.

Today, we begin in 18th-century Vienna, with the emergence of a very scandalous peasants’ dance: the waltz.

Minute Waltz
Frédéric Chopin, composer
Lang Lang, piano

The Blue Danube
Johann Strauss, composer
The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy

Roses from the South – Waltz Op. 388
Johann Strauss, composer
Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Bramwell Tovey

Swan Lake Waltz
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer
London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by André Previn

Waltz of the Flowers
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

The Second Waltz
Dmitri Shostakovich, composer
Johann Strauss Orchestra, conducted by Andre Rieu

Skaters Waltz
Émile Waldteufel, composer
National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Douglas Gamley

Moon River (instrumental)
Henry Mancini, composer
Johann Strauss Orchestra, conducted by André Rieu

Planetarium
Justin Hurwitz, composer

Produced by Alice McKee for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Audio Wales & West

To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sounds to play Composer of the Week."