# Favorite Waltz Composer/Waltzes?



## SottoVoce

What are your favorite pieces set to this rich and historic dance? For me, Ravel would have to be my favorite waltz composer; his Valse Nobles et Sentimentales and La valse have rhythmic vitality, lyricism, and color, all the qualities needed for a great waltz. Chopin's waltzes for me are very beautiful too, as they go against the trend of typical boring Viennese waltzes. What about yours?


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## neoshredder

Johann Strauss II


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## Polednice

Brahms's waltzes, written originally (I think) for piano duet are great fun, and the smattering of waltzes that Tchaikovsky wrote throughout ballets and other pieces are superb.


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## Sid James

*J. Strauss II & the others in his clan *(also, modern arrangements of their music, from Schoenberg's, Dohnanyi's to Andre Rieu in the lighter vein). His operettas are basically waltzes with singing added. So with that you can add guys like Robert Stolz, Emmerich Kalman, Paul Abraham and others to my "list."

*Franz Lehar *- A bit of Strauss rehash, but you can't go wrong with _The Merry Widow Waltz _& others of his. Willi Boskovsky did a great album of these, worth hunting down.

*Chopin's *- He hated the Viennese waltzes of his day, found them crude. Understandable, as J. Strauss II hadn't made a huge impact then as he would later (I'm guessing, mid 19th century?). But you must keep in mind that it is said that the waltz developed from the minuet & other courtly dances. I have listened to a friend's disc of Cyprien Katsaris playing Chopin's _waltzes_, & he brings such colour and lightness to this music & brings out those vocal/song-like aspects. Details on my blog on this forum. Otherwise I'm not the hugest fan of Chopin, but this disc I loved straight off.

There are some modern ones, and I'm thinking more easy listening stuff (by either serious or not so serious composers). Eg. Aussie *Peter Sculthorpe's *_*Left Bank Waltz*_, a quite well crafted memorable tune from his younger years travelling in Europe.

Out of time now but may return later. Gotta love waltzes!...


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## angelovic

I like the best Chopin's waltzes. For me, Chopin is "the poet of the piano", and so he shows it in his waltzes.


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## moody

SottoVoce said:


> What are your favorite pieces set to this rich and historic dance? For me, Ravel would have to be my favorite waltz composer; his Valse Nobles et Sentimentales and La valse have rhythmic vitality, lyricism, and color, all the qualities needed for a great waltz. Chopin's waltzes for me are very beautiful too, as they go against the trend of typical boring Viennese waltzes. What about yours?


I have a problem with your thread. Firstly, although I have nothing in particular against Chopin's waltzes I find them more boring than the Viennese waltzes. The "Blue Danube" for instance is a symphonic work of art.
But it's your comments re: Ravel that need examining more closely, you see "La Valse" was written as a commission by Diaghilev for a ballet. Initially entitled "Wien" (Vienna) it was a tribute to Strauss' waltzes.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

_The Blue Danube_


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## kv466

Strauss, Chopin, Johnny Cash


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## LordBlackudder

hmm what a question. ill settle for these


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## SottoVoce

moody said:


> I have a problem with your thread. Firstly, although I have nothing in particular against Chopin's waltzes I find them more boring than the Viennese waltzes. The "Blue Danube" for instance is a symphonic work of art.
> But it's your comments re: Ravel that need examining more closely, you see "La Valse" was written as a commission by Diaghilev for a ballet. Initially entitled "Wien" (Vienna) it was a tribute to Strauss' waltzes.


That's interesting, I knew Ravel first called it "Wien" but I always thought it was more in tribute to the city itself (which I love very much) and the Waltz tradition in general than to Strauss's waltzes in particular. Thanks for the new piece of info, although I still can't say I find Johann Strauss's Waltzes too appealing haha. I'll have to give them another try later today. I agree however, some of Chopin Waltzes do tend to be as boring or even more boring than the Viennese waltzes, but some of them are very close to my heart (i.e the Grand Valse Brillante op 34 no. 2)


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## Vaneyes

Chopin Waltzes, and this recording with Alexandre Tharaud.

View attachment 3803


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## Skilmarilion

Some favourites:

Tchaikovsky - Sym #1, Sym # 6, Nutcracker Waltz of the Flowers
Brahms - Op. 39, No. 15 in A-flat
Chopin - Op. 69, No. 2 in B minor
Sibelius - Valse Triste


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## hreichgott

Schubert's waltzes are really genius little pieces. Would Chopin and Strauss really have taken the waltz where they did if it hadn't been for Schubert?


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## peeyaj

Schubert waltzes are undiscovered trove of treasures and gems that sparkles with Viennese wit and charm. It is a pity that they were not really that popular compared to his other works.  I read somewhere that Ravel was inspired to pattern his Valse Nobles et Sentimentales in Schubert's work with the same name.

@hreichgott

I agree!


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## hreichgott

There are some Liszt transcriptions of Schubert waltzes called Soirees de Vienne. We all know how Liszt could dress up a melody. What I love about Soirees is, Liszt wrote introductory and transitional material, but he couldn't bring himself to mess with the waltzes very much. They are more love letters to Schubert than a true rearrangement.


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## Couac Addict

Surely, the Strauss' cornered the market for these! I'm also quite fond of Dvorak's _8 Waltzes_.


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## Dom

Not someone you'd usually associate with waltzes, but I've always loved this one by Takemitsu:


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## QuietGuy

SottoVoce said:


> What are your favorite pieces set to this rich and historic dance? For me, Ravel would have to be my favorite waltz composer; his Valse Nobles et Sentimentales and La valse have rhythmic vitality, lyricism, and color, all the qualities needed for a great waltz. Chopin's waltzes for me are very beautiful too, as they go against the trend of typical boring Viennese waltzes. What about yours?


I agree, wholeheartedly!


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## Alfacharger

The big symphonic waltzes of Johann Strauss and some of the waltzes by Prokofiev.

...and I have a soft spot this gem by Michael Kamen. (start at 4.00)


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## hpowders

Johann Strauss, the younger. Listen to the Chicago Symphony and Fritz Reiner. Now that's gemutlich!


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## mtmailey

TCHAIKOVSKY has the best waltzes to me like The flower waltz,string serenade,symphony 3 & 5.There are some in his suites also.


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## hpowders

Good point! Tchaikovsky wrote some terrific, irresistible waltzes.
The one in his Fifth Symphony sticks in my brain.


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## mtmailey

CHOPIN made some great music also.


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## hpowders

mtmailey said:


> CHOPIN made some great music also.


Yes. His collection of waltzes is fine too.


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## neoshredder

One can't mention Waltz without thinking Strauss. Yep the Blue Danube maybe the greatest Waltz ever.


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## Woodduck

Johann Strauss, Jr. was the first "classical" composer I ever loved passionately (at about age 10), and my pleasure in Viennese light music of that provenance has never died. The second composer I fell for was Tchaikovsky, some of whose waltzes I think are as great as any ever written, overflowing, like Strauss's, with inspired melody though a bit more serious in demeanor. 

But let me put in a special word for Johann's insufficiently celebrated brother Josef, the one who died young, whom Johann called the most talented member of the family: "He is the more talented; I am merely the more popular." Listen to such dance-tone-poems as "Dorfschwalben," "Delirien," and "Spharenklange," and you'll hear a gift for melody equal to his brother's, but possessed of a subtle, poetic, sensual, slightly melancholy nature which strikes me - I do not exaggerate - as one of the loveliest spirits in music. Johann makes me smile, but Josef makes me misty-eyed as well. Absolutely wonderful music.


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## Tristan

Strauss is excellent for sure--the Emperor Waltz is my personal favorite. But I must mention a few other:

*Tchaikovsky* has been mentioned so far--the waltzes from the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty are all on my list of favorite waltzes.

*Delibes* wrote a couple waltzes in his ballets that I love, in particular the waltz from Coppelia and the "Valse Lente" from Sylvia.

*Glazunov* wrote two excellent concert waltzes, the first being my favorite, and the piece that inspired me to take a stab at writing my own concert waltz.

*Waldteufel*'s Skater's Waltz is worth mentioning, I think, and has always been one of my favorites, even if Waldteufel himself has become a one-hit-wonder because of that waltz.

So yes, I like waltzes, as you may have figured out


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## Chordalrock

The Shostakovich waltz that Kubrick used in Eyes Wide Shut is awesomely characterful, as is Chopin's op 69 no 1.

Also: Dance of Pales - 




Wonderful, characterful music. Supports my impression that video games contain some of the best contemporary music. Too bad this piece isn't played by a real orchestra.


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## adrien

Yes, Shostakovich wrote more than a couple of IMO excellent waltzes. Apart from the very famous Waltz #2 initially from the movie Echelon, and later rehashed and included in his suite for variety orchestra (often mis-labelled as a suite for jazz orchestra), he also wrote a great waltz for the movie the Gadfly (barrel-organ waltz).

I wonder how many waltzes have been written overall, and whether it's the most popular form for orchestral composition. Surely there were hundreds if not thousands written in the 19th (esp late) century.


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## adrien

Khachaturian also did several great waltzes. From the Masquerade suite was also used in Eyes Wide Shut.

And how can you go past the Tchaik ones. Amazing, esp the Waltz of the Flowers.


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## DeepR

Scriabin's Opus 38 soars mighty high, easily my favorite waltz for solo piano. 
Although I suppose it's not really a Waltz anymore, not one you can dance to at least... maybe when drunk.

Only Bashkirov seems to get this piece right, with a lighter touch (even the highly respected Sofronitsky kind of butchers this piece).


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## Pat Fairlea

I agree with the various comments about Ravel and Shostakovich as fine waltz composers. Here's one of my favourites, even if it pushes the boundaries of 'waltz' a bit: the second movement of Rachmaninoff's second Suite for Two Pianos Op.17.


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## Woodduck

Pat Fairlea said:


> I agree with the various comments about Ravel and Shostakovich as fine waltz composers. Here's one of my favourites, even if it pushes the boundaries of 'waltz' a bit: the second movement of Rachmaninoff's second Suite for Two Pianos Op.17.


Rachmaninoff wrote an astonishing waltz as the central movement of his Symphonic Dances:


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## Hermastersvoice

For me, it’s not really which waltz but how it’s being played. I keep coming back to Fricsay’s rendition of Wiener Blut with almost outrageously lush portamentos, yet so right it brings a grin to my face every time. No mean feat for such well known war horse. Likewise the waltzes of Rodzinski’s Nutcracker make me revisit this music more often than other Tchaikovsky.


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## Woodduck

Hermastersvoice said:


> For me, it's not really which waltz but how it's being played. I keep coming back to Fricsay's rendition of Wiener Blut with almost outrageously lush portamentos, yet so right it brings a grin to my face every time.


Thanks. I wasn't aware of it before this. Let's hear it:


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