Wien - Concert Waltz for piano four hands

This piece of music was written after a trip to Vienna. I was been impressed by the refined and relaxed atmosphere that prevailled in the “ heurigen” the “Ring”, the ancient “kaffehaus” as well as in the modern means of transport. In the eye of a stressed parisian, hackled by the constant agitation of a city, the contrast was complete. Useless to say that Vienna is the capital of the waltz and I couldn’t but recall the memory of the Strausses, Lanner and such…

But the waltz also reminds us of Ravel, who write his under the premonition of the approching catastrophes. That was in 1919. A war had just ended but wasn’t Ravel dreaming another one?

Since the the Viennese sores have been healed and the ravelian angvishes have vanished. I only perceived the serene aspect of things, the quietness of the town park where a statue of Johann Strauss, holding a violon, was going to sweep along the dancers in his whirl. I was ready to smile in these peaceful surroundings, and, from a smile to the joy of life there’s only a step. May the audience take this decided step, enjoy this moment of bliss that we’d all like to be eternal.