The Countess of Farnham's Waltz

Description

This waltz is by Paolo Spagnoletti, the Italian-born violinist who made his career in London. The Countess of Farnham of the title is an Irish noble title, but reliable information on to whom the piece was actually dedicated, or when it was written, is not available.

It is in B-flat major and 3/8, lasts about 1 minute 1 second and has 334 notes. Compared with the same composer's La Dorset it is longer yet has fewer notes, around five per second, so the writing is relaxed. It is a lightly turning triple-time dance written in 3/8. The range runs from D2 up to B-flat 5, so every note fits on a 61-key keyboard.

It is rated intermediate. In a triple-time dance, the key is to give weight to the first beat and let the second and third follow lightly. Feeling each bar of 3/8 in one breath gives the turning motion of a waltz. Check the shape of the left-hand accompaniment with the hand colours, loop the phrases one at a time with the A-B loop, and adjust the playback speed until it can be played through with the lightness intact.

Waltzes in elegant triple time, including Chopin's concert waltzes alongside works by a range of other composers.