[Classics] Famous waltzes: recommended popular pieces

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.

Waltz from “The Merry Widow”Franz Lehár

Precious☆Merry Widow Waltz (Even If Lips Do Not Speak)

This is a piece from Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow.

The Merry Widow is a three-act operetta that is also popular in Japan.

One of the secrets to its popularity is the excellence of the music used, and this waltz, too, has a melody that makes you want to hum along.

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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Gold and SilverFranz Lehár

Waltz “Gold and Silver” (Lehár)

An orchestral piece by the Hungarian composer Franz Lehár.

It was composed around the 1902 carnival season for a ball hosted by Pauline von Metternich, a noblewoman of Austria-Hungary, themed “Gold and Silver.” At this ball, the venue was illuminated in silver, golden stars sparkled on the ceiling, the walls were adorned with gold and silver decorations, and attendees are said to have worn costumes embellished in gold and silver.

Its elegant and resplendent melodies evoke the atmosphere of the balls of that era.

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Waltz No. 10 in B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2Frederic Chopin

Chopin – Waltz No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2 – Ashkenazy – 1981

This is a work by Frédéric Chopin, the poet of the piano.

Because it is in a minor key, it lacks the brilliance of a major-key waltz, yet it features an extremely beautiful melody that evokes a certain wistfulness.

As with Chopin’s Waltz No.

9, the “Farewell Waltz,” it is said that its publication was withheld during his lifetime for being overly sentimental, and it was published after Chopin’s death by a friend.