Viennese Waltz Stephen Dunstone

Viennese Waltz For - Easy or Mixed Ability with a range of options 5-part (or 2-, 3-, 4-) harp ensemble Please click the "About this work & Performance Notes" heading below for further details This book is supplied as a score and set of 5 parts   Buy this music now £9.50 +p&p

Artist Profile and catalogue of works - Stephen Dunstone

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Viennese Waltz

There are five parts as follows::-

Descant
Harp 1
Harp 2
Harp 3
Harp 4

 

Viennese Waltz is a very flexible ensemble, so you can perform it with a small group of inexperienced players, or a larger group that includes slightly more skilled performers.

There are two main motifs that underpin the whole thing: The Waltz (which is the Viennese Waltz from Harpo One), and The Frog (the Viennese Frog from Harpo One, so called because of the leapfrogging action that it involves). Everyone starts with these in verses 1 and 2, but from verse 3 onwards Harps 3 and 4 take it in turns to play each. I’ve set it out like this for the sake of variety.
HOWEVER... I’m aware that some less experienced players prefer to stick to either The Waltz or The Frog all the time, so please feel free to do that.

Both of these motifs are very easy and can be learnt without needing any reading skill at all. Therefore it's possible to include near-beginners in ALL performance versions of this ensemble. The degrees of difficulty increase according to the amount of reading skill or nimble-fingeredness required for the different Melodies / Descant.

Here are some suggestions for the various performing options:

VERY EASY - DUET OR 2-PART ENSEMBLE
The Waltz and The Melody
Everyone plays The Waltz for one verse, then one player / part stays on The Waltz while the other skips to verse 6 and plays the Harp 2 Melody from here to the end (including the repeat of verses 6, 7 and 8). All players should do the glissando at the end.

ALMOST AS EASY - 3-PART ENSEMBLE
The Waltz, The Frog, and The Melody
Play the Harp 2, 3 and 4 parts from the beginning up to the end of verse 8 (players can stay on The Waltz or The Frog as long as both motifs are balanced). Don’t do the marked repeat because that would be like playing verses 3, 4 and 5 yet again, but do skip the 1st time bar and finish with the glissando.

FRACTIONALLY LESS EASY - 3-PART ENSEMBLE
The Waltz, The Melody, and The Counter Melody
As with the duet, everyone plays The Waltz for one verse only, then the players skip to verse 3 where The Melody begins. Play from here to the end.

SLIGHTLY TRICKIER - 4-PART ENSEMBLE
Play the Harp 1, 2, 3, and 4 parts from the beginning all the way to the end (players staying on Waltz or Frog ad lib, as before). Do play the repeat. This is only a little more difficult because of the group coordination, and because the Harp 1 players have got to read quite high leger lines.

MIXED ABILITY - 5-PART ENSEMBLE
This adds the more difficult Descant, so at least one more skilled player is needed. The ensemble coordination becomes a little trickier too, of course. Play the piece from beginning to end as written.

Title:	Viennese Waltz
Composer:	Stephen Dunstone
Instrumentation:	5 Lever or Pedal Harps (or 2 or 3 or 4)
Level:	Easy or Mixed Ability with a range of options
Format:	A4 stapled score and set of 5 A4 parts
Weight:	160gm
ISMN:	979-0-57046-283-4
Our Ref:	SD1038
Publisher:	Creighton's Collection
Printer/Distributor:	Creighton's Collection
Edition/Year:	2018
Origin:	UK