La Premiere Valse Triste

Here's some random schpiel on the work:

La Premiere Valse Triste is harmonically very simple, relying largely upon chromaticism and rhythmic diversity in order to maintain interest. The circle of fifths which begins in bar 17 is, for example, made engaging through the polyphony and imitation which occurs in the right hand. Likewise in bar 25 when the B-section begins, the use of the typically romantic dotted-quaver, semiquaver rhythm evokes a sense of development and variety alongside the continued pulse of the left-hand homophony. Perhaps most importantly, it is the simple harmonies, more complicated harmonic progressions and more complex, chromatic right-hand melody that make this piece so closely tied to the style of the Romantic Miniature.

The structure of the work is easily discernable, but in characteristic Romantic style, it does not fit easily to any classical model – the opening half of the piece (an A section in the tonic, and B section in the relative major) is repeated before the A section returns with extensive modifications, to heighten the sense of angst and sadness which the piece is intended to suggest.

The main theme, stated within the first eight bars, contains several motifs from which the remainder of the work is developed. Just one example is the scalic motif in bar 1, which as later in bars 35-38, as the subject of multiple imitations. Imitation is then used in successive bars to drive the piece back towards the tonic, upon which the A theme recurs. The triplet is also used extensively as an overarching rhythm which gives the piece of sense of cohesion. For this reason, I felt it fitting to end the piece with a run of triplets, establishing the unity and completeness of the work.

Enjoy!

sounds good.

Not much to say here, friend...very enjoyable music. I would have kept the triplets for a later part of the piece, exploring the motives slowly at the beginning of the piece. I loved all the cliches you used...they were delicious.

Thanks for your compliments!

Nice work. But to be "PERFECT", one of your performance marks (specifically one of the 'Mezzo-forte') needs to be one-one thousandth of an inch higher on the score. I won't tell you which one as that would take away all the fun of finding it (as if ). Keep on writing.

Heheheh. You're too kind - but I think you're exaggerating to say that it would be perfect if I changed one performance mark! I was fairly pleased with it, but it feels like more of a work for the sake of progressing than an actual composition for performance; it certainly isn't very pianistic, and it's a nightmare to play.

What I mean is that it is perfect for what it is. Technically, I see no flaws. Now, will it go down in history as the greatest ever written is a different story. I liked it. But on the other hand, I can right a perfect little melody that is flawless, that no one ever wants to listen to. I am very good at that. Sometimes a little attempt at humor helps us out on those not so great days.

I like it a lot, excellent rhythm, it was 99% rhythm holding my interest.

Technically, there are a few things I'd like you to consider. The first is that realistically, this is a piece that however simple in appearance is only fully playable by the small population of pianists that have both enough finger independence to do triplets against straight eighths in a single hand (particularly with the reach required in m45) and at the same time have the width of hand to reach middle C and the Eb an octave and a third above it with the thumb and 4th finger (or even more impossible, the third beat of m23). It's a good effort, and a good thought, that you're trying out counter-melodies but it'd be valuable to study the keyword work of Bach and especially Chopin in this case to try and figure out the cleverest and most effective ways of introducing counterpoint.

Other things to experiment with might be approaching the waltz rhythm and feel in a different way (Chopin's waltz in A minor op. 34 no. 2 is a perfect example; all of these pieces can be found at the Sheet Music Archive), or maybe even having fun with the waltz beat (hemiolas are fun; Brahms Waltz in B major). One shouldn't feel so constrained to such a typical formula of a single line in the right hand whilst the left hand holds the oom-pa-pa, which is not to say avoid it, but especially when aiming for a "valse triste" such a formula often ends up making the desirable result more difficult as it can begin to sound so much like your average parlor waltz without particular flair (a more unique sound, and once again I cite Chopin's op. 34 no. 2, can make such a profound effect while retaining the waltz feel).

I don't have very much specific critique for this piece but I thought I'd mention the above in case it'd help.

Hum. Honestly, it's a good piece, but what bothers me is the title. I don't consider it as a valse triste, it's not SAD enough in my opinion. I would have expected something to cry to... Really, I'm disappointed,... you should change the title
The song itself is really nice and I don't regret having listened to it. Keep on going.

(Maybe I don't consider it "sad" because I'm someone who writes mostly sad music, so that I consider "sad" as normal and extremely sad as sad... maybe..)