Chopsticks (original name The Celebrated Chop Waltz) is an extremely well known, simple waltz for the piano. It is often one of the first that a new player of the instrument learns. The waltz is a dance in 3/4 time, done primarily in closed position, the commonest basic figure of which is a full turn in two measures using three steps per measure. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ...

It was written in 1887 by Euphonia Allen under the pseudonym of Arthur de Lull (alternatively, Lulli). Allen, who was the sister of a music publisher, was only sixteen when she composed the piece, with arrangements for solo and duet. 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ...

The title Chop Waltz comes from Allen's specification that the melody be played with both hands held sideways, little fingers down, striking the keys with a chopping motion.

The piece known as the Cutlet Polka in Russia. The Mighty Handful, a group of Russian composers, wrote variations on the theme for Alexander Borodin's daughter Gania, except for Modest Mussorgsky, who thought the composition would be meaningless. The variation is published as Paraphrases on the Cutlet Polka. The Mighty Handful (Moguchaya Kuchka / Могучая Кучка in Russian), better known as The Five in English-speaking countries, was a label applied in 1867 by the critic Vladimir Stasov to a loose collection of Russian classical composers brought together under the leadership of Mily Balakirev with the aim of producing... Borodins tomb bust at Tikhvin Cemetery Alexander Porfyrevich Borodin (Алекса́ндр Порфи́рьевич Бороди́н) (November 12, 1833 – February 27, 1887) was a Russian composer who made his living as a chemist. ... Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Russian: Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский) (March 21, 1839 – March 28, 1881; sometimes spelled Modeste Moussorgsky), was an innovative Russian composer famed for his colourful, exotic, and lush orchestral pieces dedicated to various subjects of medieval Russian history. ...

External links

• http://www.uuwinnipeg.mb.ca/articles0202.htm