Trepak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trepak is a musical term referring to a Russian form of dance song built on a quick duple meter.[1] The Cossacks were the inventors of this musical form. In most English usage, "Trepak" (capitalized) refers to a short piece from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker; it is one of several consecutive ethnic dances in the ballet. It also goes under the name "Russian Dance" (the other ethnic dances of the ballet also have dual names, e.g. "Tea" is also "Chinese Dance").
One of the most distinguished and celebrated dances in Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, Trepak is arguably the most popular dance of the ballet, although an even better case could similarly be made for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. It is an excellent example of the composer's work, thick with his common Russian style. It boasts an unforgettable melody and an impressively manic pace.
In the Disney film Fantasia, flowers take the place of the Cossack dancers, thistles resembling men in fur hats and roses as women with bonnets.
[edit] Description of Tchaikovsky's Trepak
Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" is written in AABA form. It is played in a presto tempo. It has a time signature of 2/4 and is in the key of G Major.
