Tatiana Stachak

Invitation to the Waltz

The idea behind Invitation to the Waltz was to create a collection which would present some of the many and varied manifestations and styles of this enduringly popular musical form. The fourteen pieces are linked by their very nature as dance music, with their pulsing, triple-time melodies. Nonetheless, every one of these waltzes is different and thus the entire collection is not even remotely monotonous. The individual pieces are exactly that, individual, differing in tempo, character and style. They include compositions which allude to the romantic, brillante genre and to the French valse-musette; there are also miniatures set in a Latin-American atmosphere, or recreating the mood of the pavement café and nostalgic pieces reflecting the melodies of yesteryear. The pieces, of moderate technical difficulty, are characterised by their clear and legible facture, their simplicity of form, and their melodies which, once heard, will easily be remembered.