"Waves of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

" ( ro, Valurile Dunării) is a

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

composed by

Iosif Ivanovici Ion Ivanovici ( sr-cyr, Јован Ивановић) (alternatively: Jovan Ivanović, Iosif Ivanovici, Josef Ivanovich) (1845 – ) was a Romanian military band conductor and composer of Banat Serbian origin, best remembered today for his wal ...

in 1880, and is one of the most famous

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

tunes in the world. The song has many variations throughout the piece, reminiscent of the music of

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

. Through the Viennese style variations, there is still a distinct Slavic style. In the United States, it is frequently referred to as "The Anniversary Song",Iosef Ivanovici
at johann-strauss.org.uk a title given by

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

when he and

Saul Chaplin Saul Chaplin (February 19, 1912 – November 15, 1997) was an American composer and musical director. He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley. In film, he w ...

released an adaptation of the song in 1946.Biography of Iosif Ivanovici
at naxos.com

Rise to prominence

"Waves of the Danube" was first published in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

. It was dedicated to Emma Gebauer, the wife of

music publisher A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in the management of the intellect ...

Constantin Gebauer. Composer

Émile Waldteufel Charles Émile Waldteufel (9 December 1837 – 12 February 1915) was a French pianist, conductor and composer known for his numerous popular salon pieces. Life Émile Waldteufel (German for ''forest devil'') was born at 84 Grand'Rue in the c ...

made an orchestration of the piece in 1886, which was performed for the first time at the 1889 Paris Exposition, and took the audience by storm. It won the march prize to mark the exhibition out of 116 entries. Ivanovici's "Danube Waves" was published in the United States in 1896 and republished in 1903 by the Theodore Lohr Company in an arrangement for piano by Simon Adler. The published version was called "Waves of the Danube." The composition is also known as "Danube Waves Waltz."

"In Praise of Death"

The melody of "Waves of the Danube" was used in what is regarded as

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

's first popular song, "In Praise of Death" by

Yun Sim-deok Yun Sim-deok (; 25 July 1897 – 4 August 1926) was a Korean singer. She was the country's first professional soprano. Life and career Yun was born in Pyongyang in 1897. She studied at the Pyongyang Girls' Middle and High Schools, and gradu ...

recorded in 1926. The song was recorded in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, where she met and fell in love with a Korean married man. The two boarded a steamship returning to Korea, but ended their lives by jumping into the sea.

"The Anniversary Song"

"Waves of the Danube" became well known in the United States only half a century later.

and

published it in 1946 under the name of "The Anniversary Song" ("Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed") and as their own composition. The 1946 sheet music of the song credits the composers as Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin with music by Iosif Ivanovici. Jolson and Chaplin wrote the lyrics while Chaplin adapted Ivanovici's music. Al Jolson released "The Anniversary Song" on

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

as catalog number 23714. It first reached the '' Billboard'' charts on February 7, 1947, and lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #2.

Other recordings of The Anniversary Song

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

released a version of the song on Columbia as catalog number 37234; it first reached the ''Billboard'' charts on February 28, 1947, and lasted eight weeks on the chart, peaking at #4. * A recording by

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and oth ...

was cut on December 13, 1946, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 23799; it first reached the ''Billboard'' charts on February 14, 1947, and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4. *

Tex Beneke Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( ; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. H ...

and the Glenn Miller Orchestra featuring Garry Stevens and the Mello Larks on vocals released a version of the song in 1947 on RCA Victor as catalog number 20-2126; it first reached the ''Billboard'' charts on February 21, 1947, and lasted eight weeks on the chart, peaking at #3. *

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

and his New Music Orchestra released a version the same year. * Anne Shelton recorded the song in 1946 for Decca Records in the UK. * Andy Russell and

Paul Weston Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the ...

released a version on Capitol Records as catalog number 368; it first reached the ''Billboard'' charts on March 14, 1947, and lasted two weeks on the chart, peaking at #5. * Bing Crosby recorded the song on March 28, 1947, with

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...

and his Orchestra and the

Ken Darby Singers Kenneth Lorin Darby (May 13, 1909 – January 24, 1992) was an American composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor. His film scores were recognized by the awarding of three Academy Awards and one Grammy Award. He provided vocals for ...

for Decca Records and it was included in his album '' Auld Lang Syne''. * Guitarist

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

and the

Quintette du Hot Club de France The Quintette du Hot Club de France ("The Quintet of the Hot Club of France"), often abbreviated "QdHCdF" or "QHCF", was a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli and active in one form ...

released a version in 1947 on Blue Star as a 78, Blue Star 33. * Frank Sinatra performed ''The Anniversary Song'' for

radio broadcast Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio sta ...

. The recording is available on the Frank Sinatra collection ''The Radio Years''. *

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

recorded the song in 1958 and it was included in his album ''Star Dust''. *

Joni James Giovanna Carmella Babbo (September 22, 1930 – February 20, 2022), known professionally as Joni James, was an American singer of traditional pop music. Biography Giovanna Carmella Babbo was born to an Italian-American family in Chicago, Illino ...

included the song in her album ''Among My Souvenirs'' (1958). *

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

included a bilingual version in English and

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

in her album ''

Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites ''Connie Francis sings Jewish Favorites'' is a studio album of Jewish songs recorded by American entertainer Connie Francis. Background After the success of her 1959 album '' Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites'' (which remained on the album ...

'' in 1960. *

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

and his Gang also performed and recorded the song and it was included in the album ''Happy Times! - Sing Along with Mitch'' (1961). * Andy Williams included the song in his album

The Academy Award-Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" and Other Hit Songs from the Movies ''The Academy Award-Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" and Other Hit Songs from the Movies'' is the fourteenth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released in the spring of 1964 by Columbia Records. Williams had already had ...

(1964). * Eddie Fisher included the song in his Jolson tribute album ''You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet'' (1968). * Tom Jones included the song in his album ''Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow'' (1977) * In 1959, a rock-and-roll instrumental version entitled "Big River", performed by the Buddy Brennan Quartet, reached the Music Vendor Top 100. * In 1972, a rocked up version was released by

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...

drummer

Jim Capaldi Nicola James Capaldi (2 August 1944 – 28 January 2005) was an English singer-songwriter and drummer. His musical career spanned more than four decades. He co-founded the progressive rock band Traffic in 1967 with Steve Winwood with whom he co ...

on his album ''

Oh How We Danced ''Oh How We Danced'' is the debut studio album by the British musician Jim Capaldi. The album was recorded while Traffic was on hiatus due to Steve Winwood's struggles with peritonitis and was released by Island Records in 1972. Like his contemp ...

''. *

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...

included the song in his album Willie’s Stash, Vol. 1: December Day (2014).

"Der Chasene Waltz"

An arrangement by Henry Lefkowitch with

lyrics by was published in 1947 as "Der Chasene Waltz" ("The Wedding Waltz"). However, the online catalog of the

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-ca ...

Libraries contains a record that has 1941 as publication date for this song.

In film

In 1931, film director Josef von Sternberg used the melody in his film ''

Dishonored ''Dishonored'' is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Set in the fictional, plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, ''Dishonored'' follows the story of Corvo Attano, bodyguard to th ...

'', in which

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

mime Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is an Internet standard that extends the format of email messages to support text in character sets other than ASCII, as well as attachments of audio, video, images, and application programs. Message ...

d several piano performances of it. The tune was next used, without being credited, in the 1934 American comedy film ''

The Circus Clown ''The Circus Clown'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code comedy film about a man who wants to join the circus against the wishes of his ex-circus clown father. It stars Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Plot Young Happy Howard (Joe E. Brown) has been s ...

''. Under the name of "The Anniversary Song" it was featured in Al Jolson's

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

Columbia film ''

The Jolson Story ''The Jolson Story'' is a 1946 American musical biography film which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demares ...

'' in 1946 and the sequel ''

Jolson Sings Again ''Jolson Sings Again'' is a 1949 American musical biographical film directed by Henry Levin, and the sequel to ''The Jolson Story'' (1946), both of which cover the life of singer Al Jolson. It was the highest-grossing film of 1949 and received ...

'' (1949), as well as in '' Blondie's Anniversary'' in 1947. Under the name "Waves of the Danube" the tune was used in

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

's 1949 film '' Stray Dog''. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the tune was used in 1959 in a Romanian film by

Liviu Ciulei Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of the b ...

dealing with the war, titled, after the song, ''Valurile Dunării''. A cover by

The New Vaudeville Band The New Vaudeville Band was a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallee megaphone-style vocal. To his surprise, ...

was used in 1968 as the title song for cult British Hammer horror ''

The Anniversary The Anniversary is an American band formed in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1997 by Josh Berwanger, James David, Christian Jankowski, Adrianne Verhoeven and Justin Roelofs. The Anniversary was the solidification of a line-up that had been in flux for ...

'' starring

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

. It has also appeared in the movies ''

Mayerling Mayerling is a small village (pop. 200) in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. It is situated on the Schwechat river, in the Wienerwald (''Vienna woods''), southwest of Vienna. From 1550, it was in t ...

'' in 1968, '' Falling in Love Again'' in 1980, ''

When Father Was Away on Business ''When Father Was Away on Business'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Otac na službenom putu, Отац на службеном путу) is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sid ...

'' in 1985, ''

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

'' in 1990, ''

Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...

'' in 1999, ''

Father and Daughter "Father and Daughter" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. The song, written for the animated family film ''The Wild Thornberrys Movie'', was released as a single in October 2002. An alternate version later appeared on Simon's 11 ...

'' in 2000, and ''

A Guy Thing ''A Guy Thing'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Chris Koch and starring Jason Lee, Julia Stiles and Selma Blair. Plot Paul Morse (Lee) and Karen Cooper (Blair) are about to get married in Seattle. During his bachelor party, Paul has a ...

'' in 2003. This tune was also used by the famous Indian film maker

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...

in many of his movies, all the way from Barsaat to Dharm Karm. This song is also sung in the Japanese movie "Tree Without Leaves" (Rakuyoju, 1986).

On television

The song was sung with American lyrics by

Donny Most Don Most (born August 8, 1953) is an American actor and singer, best known for his role as Ralph Malph on the television series ''Happy Days''. Early life Most was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City. He lived in Flatbush, Broo ...

(as character Ralph Malph) on the ABC sitcom ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'', in the 1976 episode titled "They Shoot Fonzies Don't They?"

In books

The song is sung by Alexander-Shura, the main character of the bestseller novel ''

The Bronze Horseman The ''Bronze Horseman'' (russian: link=no, Медный всадник, literally "copper horseman") is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great in the Senate Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was opened to the public on 7 (18) August ...

'', by Paullina Simons (2001), the night of his wedding with Tatiana, in Lazarevo.

Fame in other countries

*The tune, along with the corresponding lyrics used in the movie ''Valurile Dunării'', was very popular in China beginning in the 1960s. *The melody of "Waves of the Danube" has been well known in

, since the 1920s, thanks to the soprano Youn Shim-Deok. It is known there as "The Psalm of Death".Lee, Young Mee (2006) ''The Beginnings of Korean Pop, in Korean Pop Music: Riding the Wave'', edited by Keith Howard, England: Global Oriental, 2006, p.3. *Japanese

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style. Instr ...

group

Takeshi Terauchi , also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...

& Bunnys recorded this on their 1967 album ''Let's Go Unmei''. *In

Kintetsu Nagoya Station is a terminal station on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line. It is connected to Nagoya Station (JR Central, Aonami Line, and Nagoya City Subway) and Meitetsu Nagoya Station (Nagoya Railroad). Layout The station has four bay platform In the Uni ...

Nagoya, Japan is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

Kintetsu Railway , referred to as , is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railway network connects Osaka, Nara, Ky ...

uses a combination of this tone together with sections from " The Big Ben Chimes" as the

departure melody A train melody is a succession of musically expressive tones played when a train is arriving at or about to depart from a train station. As part of train passenger operations, a train melody includes a parade of single notes organized to follow e ...

for its limited express services departing from

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...

towards

since 1978. *The interlude of "Jeena Yehann Maranaa Yehann" in the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

film ''

Mera Naam Joker ''Mera Naam Joker'' () is a 1970 Indian Hindi romance drama film, directed, edited and produced by Raj Kapoor under his banner R. K. Films, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film stars Raj Kapoor as the eponymous character, with his son ...

'' uses this tune. *In

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, an instrumental recording from

Grady Martin Thomas Grady Martin (January 17, 1929 – December 3, 2001) was an American session guitarist in country music and rockabilly. A member of The Nashville A-Team, he played guitar on hits such as Marty Robbins' " El Paso", Loretta Lynn's " Co ...

is the best known and the most popular. It is played both at weddings and quinceañeras. *The Dutch film, ''

'' uses this melody, along with variations from the original melody.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waves of the Danube 1880 compositions Al Jolson songs Andy Williams songs Guy Lombardo songs Romanian songs Waltzes Articles containing Dutch-language text