[Classics] Famous waltzes: recommended popular pieces

Ripples of the DanubeIosif Ivanovici

Ripples of the Danube

This is a work by Ivanovici, a Romanian composer and conductor.

Listening as the piece moves from a leisurely opening to a light, flowing passage, you can almost picture the Danube gliding past before your eyes—sometimes with ripples dancing in the wind.

The Skaters’ WaltzÉmile Waldteufel

The Skaters' Waltz — Waldteufel

This is a representative work by Émile Waldteufel, a 19th-century French composer who wrote many waltzes and polkas and is known as the “Waltz King of France.” Commonly known as the Skaters’ Waltz, this piece was inspired by an ice rink located in the Bois de Boulogne, a forest park in Paris.

Its graceful melodies glide as if over ice, sleigh bells seem to evoke gently falling snow, and the rhythmic, bright tone suggests people cheerfully skating and chatting.

It’s a piece that makes you want to go skating just by listening to it.

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Cinderella and the Prince, Op. 102-1Sergei Prokofiev

Prokofiev – Waltz (from Cinderella) op. 102 no. 1

This is one of the pieces from the piano suite Six Pieces from Cinderella, Op.

102, drawn from the ballet music composed by the Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev.

Cinderella is based on the fairy tale of the same name, and has been arranged as an orchestral suite, a solo piano suite, and in other versions.

Waltz No. 15, Op. 39-15Johannes Brahms

Brahms: Waltz No. 15 in A-flat major, Op. 39 No. 15

The 15th piece from the “16 Waltzes, Op.

39,” originally written for piano four hands and later arranged for solo piano.

The work was dedicated to the aesthetician and music critic Eduard Hanslick, who was reportedly surprised that Brahms—an advocate of absolute music—would write waltzes, which were then considered entertainment music.

It is thought that Brahms, impressed by the popular waltzes of Johann Strauss at the time, was inspired by Strauss when composing these pieces.

Rather than an optimistic and merry waltz, this piece reflects Brahms’s temperament in its somewhat solemn and weighty atmosphere.

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German-style waltzRobert Schumann

Schumann / Carnival: 16. German Waltz / Performed by: Rintaro Omi

At the time Schumann composed this piece, he had feelings for a woman named Ernestine.

He came up with the idea of mapping the place name “Asch” in Bohemia—Ernestine’s birthplace—to musical notes and composing based on that motif.

Carnaval is a puzzle-like work built around this motif.

It consists of 20 pieces, each with its own title, performed in succession.

The sixteenth piece, this one, is an elegant yet dynamic waltz that begins with the “Asch” motif.

In the middle section, Paganini makes an appearance, and, true to the name, the piece demands virtuosic technique.

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Waltz “Voices of Spring”Johann Strauss II

[150,000 Views] Johann Strauss II: Voices of Spring — Hiroshi Yoshida, conductor; Teatro Comunale di Bologna Philharmonic

A work by Johann Strauss II, known as the “Waltz King,” and a familiar piece from the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert.

Its flowing waltz melody is radiant, evoking the warmth of spring sunshine.

Carried by the pleasant rhythm of the strings, the flute and violin sing lightly, conjuring images of dancers stepping elegantly and gliding through a waltz.

The piece is captivating for its phrases like the gentle murmur of a peaceful stream and its splendid climax.

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A noble and sentimental waltzMaurice Ravel

Krystian Zimerman plays Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (Maurice Ravel) – Complete

Maurice Ravel composed this piece in 1911.

It was originally written for solo piano, but an orchestral version was made the following year.

Translations such as “Graceful and Sentimental Waltzes” and “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” are also used.

Ravel himself stated that he composed the work using Schubert’s waltzes as a motif.

When we think of a waltz, we often imagine triple meter with the second and third beats off the bass, but this piece, in keeping with Impressionist music, has a floating quality that blends into the landscape.

It is a waltz that conveys a distinctly French character.