Waltz in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2

About this work

Waltz Op. 69 No. 2 begins in B minor with an upbeat in a 3/4 Moderato. Its melody descends and rises again in long curves above the familiar waltz bass and chords. The first beat provides support but cannot carry the phrase on its own: right-hand phrases span several bars under long slurs and require continuous direction.

The design brings this theme back around contrasting episodes. A B-major passage marked dolce brightens the colour; elsewhere, con anima, crescendos, ritardandos and a tempo returns reshape the momentum. Repeats and alternative endings demand a clear memory of the route. Every return needs to recover its motion immediately rather than retain the slowing or weight of the preceding cadence.

Practise the melody with only the bass note on each first beat, then add chords while controlling their length. Isolate every ritardando and decide on the exact tempo to recover afterwards. In the major-key episode, lighten the attack and bring out the upper note rather than increasing pedal. Prepare broad right-hand transfers during longer values; the left hand maintains the same swing even when dynamics or register change.


About this edition

The 4-page PDF contains the complete work for solo piano. The engraving by Roland Goretzki, based on the Peters edition edited by Herrmann Scholtz, is distributed by Mutopia in the public domain. A MIDI file accompanies the score on LesPartitions.info.