Top 10 favorite waltzes

[kyjo]

To follow on the heels of the "top 10 marches" thread:

Barber - I. Waltz, from "Souvenirs"
Britten - V. Alla Valse, from Suite for Violin and Piano
Dvorak - II. Tempo di valse from Serenade for Strings
Glazunov - Valse de Concert No. 2 in F major
Prokofiev - Cinderella's Waltz from "Cinderella"
Rachmaninoff - II. Waltz, from Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos
Saint-Saëns - Valse nonchalante in D-flat major
Strauss, Johann II - Emperor Waltz
Strauss, Richard - 2 Waltz Sequences from "Der Rosenkavalier"
Tchaikovsky - III. Valse. Allegro moderato, from Symphony No. 5

Btw, I'm counting Ravel's La valse as a tone poem and not a waltz proper.

[Lisztianwagner]

Great thread, let's see:

J. Strauss II - An der schönen blauen Donau
J. Strauss II - Kaiser Walzer
J. Strauss II - Wiener Blut
R. Strauss - Two Waltz Sequences from "Der Rosenkavalier"
Tchaikovsky - Waltz from "Eugene Onegin"
Chopin - Grand Valse Brillante
Glazunov - Concert Waltz No.1
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique, second movement
Liszt - Valses Oubliées
Ravel - Valses nobles et sentimentales

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I was wondering what differentiates waltzes from 3/4 non-waltzes theoretically/systemically. Hard to tell some 3/4 works while most works "sound" certainly non-waltz (ie. Ride of the Valkyries). Anyway I will post my fav waltzes soon.

[Luke]

Btw, I'm counting Ravel's La valse as a tone poem and not a waltz proper.

1 It's your thread....but I'm counting it as THE waltz (to end all waltzes!) Despite its implied narrative, of birth, bloom, deliquescence and decay, it's also a waltz sequence, so it counts in that way too. Basically, I'm desperate for it to be included, as it's one of the best things ever by anyone. La valse, Ravel

2 In the same way, Janacek's Broucek is stuffed full of waltzes, and it's great, and it's wild and wacky. So it counts for me, too. The Excursions of Mr Broucek, Janacek

3 La plus que lente, Debussy. Maybe in the orchestral version, because I love that cimabalom part.

4 Liszt's weirdly wonderful Valses oubliees. Again, I love an orchestrated version in particular, the rather skeletal one by Gyorgy Selmeczi.

5 In a meta kind of way (because most of it isn't waltz-like, but the whole thing draws on a waltz), Beethoven's Veränderungen über einen Walzer (the Diabelli's).

6 Boring, I know, but I'd like a lovingly crafted personal selection of Schubert waltzes....They're mostly about 16 bars long, so I should be allowed a goodly number.

7 ...and all of Chopin's more poetic ones.

8 ...and one more Valse de Chopin - the one by Schoenberg (in Pierrot Lunaire)

9 Brahms, the Liebeslieder, the Neues Liebeslieder, and the Waltzes for piano duet (particularly these, for sentimental reasons). Counts as one choice, just because it does.

10 Ending with the composer I started with: Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales. Delicious.

But also some of Tchaikovsky's most sparkly, Faberge waltzes would be nice.

[Lisztianwagner]

4 Liszt's weirdly wonderful Valses oubliees. Again, I love an orchestrated version in particular, the rather skeletal one by Gyorgy Selmeczi. 

10 Ending with the composer I started with: Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales. Delicious.

How could I forget about Liszt and Ravel?! Absolutely gorgeous works, thank you for remembering!

[Luke]

I was wondering what differentiates waltzes from 3/4 non-waltzes theoretically/systemically. Hard to tell some 3/4 works while most works "sound" certainly non-waltz (ie. Ride of the Valkyries). Anyway I will post my fav waltzes soon.

I suppose it's to do with how the metrical stresses are apportioned between the beats; to do with melodic and rhythmic features common to the genre (but not in, say, minuet or mazurka); and particularly to the oom-pa-pa accompaniment pattern which is so prominent in waltzes.

[Jo498]

I am pretty sure we had a similar thread already somewhere...

Strauss, Johann II: Seid umschlungen, Millionen; Kaiserwalzer
Strauss, Josef: Aquarellen, Dynamiden
Weber/Berlioz: Aufforderung zum Tanz
Berlioz: "un bal", 2nd movement from symphonie fantastique
Tchaikovsky: Valse from Eugen Onegin
Waldteufel: Espana (tbh I don't think any Waldteufel can really compete with the younger Strausses but for variety, and that Espana theme also treated by Rimsky, Chabrier etc. is just a riot)
Chopin: Valse A flat op. 69/1

[Roasted Swan]

Wot no Lehar!!!!!!!   Gold & Silver or Merry Widow

[Florestan]

Tremendously fun thread! I'll make it one waltz per composer only.

My list for today, otomh, in no particular order.

Tchaikovsky - Valse: Moderato - Tempo di Valse, from Op. 48.

Johann Strauss II - An der schönen blauen Donau

Iosif Ivanovici - Valurile Dunării 

Juventino Rosas - Sobre las olas

Emile Waldteufel - Les patineurs

Leo Delibes - Waltz from Coppelia

Berlioz - Un bal, from Symphonie Fantastique

Josef Lanner - Die Schoenbrunner

Franz Lehar - Die Lustige-Wittwe-Walzer

Chopin - Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18

Tomorrow I may come up with a completely different list. 

Es lebe hoch der Walzer!

[Florestan]

THE waltz (to end all waltzes!)

(The above, with respect to Ravel's La Valse)

I respectfully beg to differ from this typically French arrogance. As we Romanians say: Nu mor caii când vor câinii

ie

The horses don't die just when the dogs want them to die!

The Austrians have composed (famous) waltzes long after Ravel's supposedly last one to end them all. 

And I even dare say that the Blue Danube tune will be hummed in the streets long after Ravel's name will be forgotten --- the Bolero notwithstanding. 

[ritter]

And I even dare say that the Blue Danube tune will be hummed in the streets long after Ravel's name will be forgotten --- the Bolero notwithstanding. 

Oh, yes, the ultimate benchmark of musical quality: "hummabilty" on the streets. 

[Maestro267]

Ravel - La valse
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique, II. Un bal
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5, III. Tempo di valse
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake, Act I, No. 2: Valse
Chopin - Waltz Op. 64 No. 1
Prokofiev - Cinderella, Act II, Grand Valse