FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582  
583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   >>   >|  
" and its "enveloping the dancer deeper and deeper in its floods." This language is altogether out of proportion with the thing spoken of; for Op. 18 differs from the master's best waltzes in being, not a dance-poem, but simply a dance, although it must be admitted that it is an exceedingly spirited one, both as regards piquancy and dash. When, however, we come to Op. 34, "Trois Valses brillantes" (published in December, 1838), Op. 42, "Valse" (published in July, 1840), and Op. 64, "Trois Valses" (published in September, 1847), the only other waltzes published by him, we find ourselves face to face with true dance-poems. Let us tarry for a moment over Op. 34. How brisk the introductory bars of the first (in A flat major) of these three waltzes! And what a striking manifestation of the spirit of that dance all that follows! We feel the wheeling motions; and where, at the seventeenth bar of the second part, the quaver figure enters, we think we see the flowing dresses sweeping round. Again what vigour in the third part, and how coaxingly tender the fourth! And, lastly, the brilliant conclusion--the quavers intertwined with triplets! The second waltz (in A minor; Lento) is of quite another, of a more retired and private, nature, an exception to the rule. The composer evidently found pleasure in giving way to this delicious languor, in indulging in these melancholy thoughts full of sweetest, tenderest loving and longing. But here words will not avail. One day when Stephen Heller--my informant--was at Schlesinger's music-shop in Paris, Chopin entered. The latter, hearing Heller ask for one of his waltzes, inquired of him which of them he liked best. "It is difficult to say which I like best," replied Heller, "for I like them all; but if I were pressed for an answer I would probably say the one in A minor." This gave Chopin much pleasure. "I am glad you do," he said; "it is also my favourite." And in an exuberance of amiability he invited Heller to lunch with him, an invitation which was accepted, the two artists taking the meal together at the Cafe Riche. The third waltz (in F major; Vivace) shows a character very different from the preceding one. What a stretching of muscles! What a whirling! Mark the giddy motions of the melody beginning at bar seventeen! Of this waltz of Chopin's and the first it is more especially true what Schumann said of all three: "Such flooding life moves within these waltzes that they seem to have be
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582  
583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

waltzes

 

Heller

 

published

 
Chopin
 
Valses
 

pleasure

 
motions
 

deeper

 

entered

 

Schlesinger


flooding
 

seventeen

 

Schumann

 

inquired

 

hearing

 
tenderest
 

loving

 

longing

 

sweetest

 
indulging

melancholy

 
thoughts
 

Stephen

 

beginning

 

informant

 

melody

 

favourite

 
exuberance
 

amiability

 

invited


Vivace

 

character

 

languor

 

invitation

 

taking

 

accepted

 

artists

 

replied

 

muscles

 

stretching


whirling

 

difficult

 

preceding

 

answer

 

pressed

 

tender

 
December
 

brillantes

 

September

 

moment