Does any one know if "Watermark" by Enya is a waltz-able song? I listened to a sample clip and it sounded like it occaisonally changes from 3/4 to a 4/4 time. I could be wrong. I was wondering if some one with the ablum might know.
Some off-the-beaten-path favorites, part 1 From The Great Waltz, by Childsplay—most are very folk-ish: Tourner a Trois The Great Waltz of China (very Eastern harmonies) Buster Keaton (very heavily syncopated) Cue’s Mug Hoekper’s Vals April Waltz From The Lover’s Waltz, by Jay Ungar—very folk-ish: Give Me Your Hand The Lover’s Waltz Duet Legends of the Fall The Mountain House From Classics, by Sarah Brightman: Alhambra O Mio Babbino Caro (this is the version with the strictest tempo that I’ve found) From Careless Love, by Madeline Peyroux—both moderately syncopated: Between the Bars Weary Blues
Some off-the-beaten-path favorites, part 2 --A Natural Woman, by Aretha Franklin (30 Greatest Hits) --Not What You See, by Savatage (Dead Winter Dead)—from a m-e-t-a-l opera --She’s Leaving Home, by The Beatles (Sgt. Peppers…) --Sad Songs and Waltzes, by Cake (Fashion Nugget) --Blue Spanish Sky, by Chris Isaak (Heart Shaped World) --Run for the Roses, by Dan Fogelberg (The Innocent Age) --Take it to the Limit, by the Eagles (The Very Best Of…) --Open Arms, by Journey (Journey’s Greatest Hits) --Since I’ve Been Loving You, by Led Zeppelin (boxed set, disk 2) --Be Here to Love Me, by Norah Jones (Feels Like Home) --Come Away with Me, by Norah Jones (Come Away with Me) --Souvenir, by Paul McCartney (Flaming Pie) --Irlandaise, by Rampal & Bolling (Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano)—beautiful, lyrical and different --A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday, by Shane McGowan & The Pogues (???) --Scarborough Fair/Canticle, by Simon & Garfunkel (Greatest Hits) --My Skin, by Natalie Merchant (Ophelia)—some debate has been had about if it’s actually a v. waltz, I love it as a very fast waltz, I love the contrast b/t the actual temp and how slow it sounds --Tristesse D’un Tango, by Quartango (Macadam Tango)—technically it’s an AT vals, but it works nicely as a waltz, some rubato
I did a piano recital with this piece a few years ago and remember it being quite lovely. In answer to your question about the meter for this song, it never changes to 4/4 time, so on the surface, it could be "waltz-able." But, those changes you're hearing are tempo changes. That song has a very fluid idea about tempo. You could use it for a showcase, I guess, but I wouldn't try to use it in a social dance setting. You'll drive the dancers crazy.
One of my favorite pieces right now for waltz is Adiemus by Karl Jenkins. I'm adding it to my My Music page.
There are a few doctored versions of 'Watermark', which are very good, strict tempo ballroom songs. One is on one of the Bill & Bobbie Irvine Awards cds by Prandi (I forget which volume), and one is on a German cd and hence is titled 'Watermarck'. Try searching at dancetrax for them. The original Enya song is beautiful and has occasional changes from 3/4 to 5/4 timing. I saw Nick Cotton & Debbie Avalos do a show to it when the album was first release, and it was amazing.
I have to second the version of "Come away with me" by Norah Jones. Also I have recently taken a liking to a track called "Surrender". Im not sure who the vocalist is but its on this album - http://www.wrdmusic.com/details.asp?PID=943 I have also got an acapella track of "Amazing Grace" sung by, I believe, R Kelly. Its a sensational track. Its not strict tempo and it has breaks in it but its a beautiful version.
O Mio Babbino Caro is a beautiful song, but there are way too many tempo changes. Sarah Brightman is good but is one of my least favorite. She's to snobbish and too much of a diva. I cringe when she hits the high notes.
Yeah, I'm not sold on Sarah Brightman, but I'm willling to overlook her in order to be able to dance to that song. Like I said, hers is the strictest tempo version I've found.
Didn't they do a waltz (not viennese) with this song in DWTS Season 1? It was Kelly and Alec, if I remember correctly.
I think I read somewhere that Una Furtiva Lagrima by Puccini is in a 3/4 time signature meter. I have a question on a couple of other Pavarotti piece, Recondita Armonia (Puccini) and Torna a Surriento (De Curtis). Are those two also in 3/4 time signature? or do they switch back and forth to 4/4 as it sometimes seem to me.
One of my favorites is by Melissa Manchester, "In a Perfect World". I found it in the album "Let's Dance: The Best of Ballroom Foxtrots and Waltzes".
Hard to tell about Recondita, but the other two are. Although unless they've been strict-tempoed the tempo changes make them really hard to dance to.
