My orchestration of this waltz by Julius Fucik. It dates from 1903 which is way too late for me. I should really leave this period alone. For me, the waltz by this time has lost its mojo. There are good tunes, both generally and in here, but there’s a lack of rhythmic and dynamic contrasts. Every tune is resolutely on the beat and just too loud. Almost all of the waltz tunes in here are marked mf or louder. Were his dancers deaf or did they wear army boots? Styles change and I’m sure there are people out there who prefer this kind of waltz to Lanner. I like the introduction though.

So I should stop being persuaded to do these late waltzes. I have no feeling for them and find them quite hard to do. The motivation just isn’t there either. This has been on the stocks for more than three weeks instead of the 7-10 days a waltz usually takes. I just kept finding other things I’d rather have been doing. I’m sure this is under-orchestrated. Doing earlier waltzes I have to stop myself putting too much percussion in: here I have to force myself to put more in and there’s probably still not enough.

That said, I don’t think I have completely ruined it!