| Composition Year | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Genre Categories | Waltzes; Dances; For strings; Scores featuring string ensemble |
| Work Title | Sentimental Waltz for string orchestra |
|---|---|
| Alternative. Title | Sentimental Waltz for strings |
| Composer | Weiss, Matthew C. |
| I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. | IMW 2 |
| Key | A-flat major |
| Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 2009 |
| First Performance. | 2009/02/01 |
| First Publication. | 2009 |
| Dedication | The Octava Chamber Orchestra |
| Average DurationAvg. Duration | 6 minutes |
| Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
| Piece Style | Romantic |
| Instrumentation | strings |
| Extra Information | a nice waltz for full orchestra composed in a style similar to Tchaikovsky Finale and Noteperformer rendition of Sentimental Waltz for full orchestra |
I wrote this "Sentimental Waltz" originally as a piece for solo piano and then orchestrated it for strings in May of 1992. We read through it with the original Octava Chamber Orchestra that year, however I didn't feel that the arrangement did the work justice so it was never performed. Since that time, it has been swimming around in my head in various forms until I finally put it to the modern equivalent of pen and paper in January 2009. Then in June 2024 I re-orchestrated it for full orchestra to be premiered by the Octava Chamber Orchestra conducted by me on June 29th 2024.
The overall structure is A-B-A. The first section depicts a very Tchaikovsky-esque ballroom scene with rich harmonies that support a lilting melody. The bass line starts out as a bit of a tease but finally settles into the traditional "um" that the inner voices bounce off of with their "pa pas" that we expect in a waltz. The middle section contains a surprising amount of chromaticism and modulations that depict the dancers getting a little woozy from a few too many spins, and a few too many trips to the punch bowl :)
Happily though, all is well as they manage to land on their feet when we cadence in a familiar key. After this, we return to a recap of the first section with all the melodies and harmonies intact, with a few changes in the orchestration, and a little added pause before the final cadence.
Let's dance!
---Matt
