Tag Archives: waltz

Wojciech Kilar: Waltz from the Promised Land

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Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013)

Wojciech Kilar was a Polish composer who composed classical music and film scores. He is best known for his film scores for films such as Dracula, The Ninth Gate, The Pianist, and the Portrait of a Lady among other films. Kilar won many awards for his film scores, including the score for the film Ziemia obiecana (The Promised Land), and an award for his film score for Dracula, his most successful film score.

Katica Illényi ( 1968 – )

Katica Illényi is a Hungarian violinist, theremin player, singer, and dancer. She is a classically trained musician, but also plays folk music, klezmer music, and gypsy jazz. Katica has a very popular YouTube channel, and has recorded many albums including: Tango Classic, Theremin Christmas, and Reloaded Jazz Violin. In this YouTube video, Katica Illényi (violin) with Rita Termes (piano) play a beautiful violin/piano arrangement by Rezső Ott of Wojciech Kilar’s Waltz from the film Promised Land (Ziemia obiecana). Enjoy.

Dmitri Shostakovich – Two Waltzes performed by Constantine Orbelion annd the Moscow Chamber Orchestra

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Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Dmitri Shostakovich was a 20th Century Soviet composer. Shostakovich composed a great variety of music including string quartets, piano music, symphonies, film music, and ballet music. Today he is best known for his film scores and ballet suites, including the “Gadfly” Suite (which contains the famous Romance), his suite OP. 99a (which contains the famous Second Waltz), his suite of piano pieces called the “Dancing of the Dolls”, and his string quartets and symphonies.

Here are two waltzes by Shostakovich performed by Constantine Orbelian and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. The first waltz is a waltz from the Pirogov Suite, Op. 76a. The second waltz is the famous Second Waltz from his Op. 99a suite written for the Soviet film
“The First Echelon.” I hope that you enjoy this beautiful music.

Witold Małcużyński plays two Chopin Waltzes

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Witold Małcużyński (1914-1977)

Witold Małcużyński was a famous Polish pianist who specialized in playing the music of Chopin. He studied piano with Margarite Long and Isidor Philipp. He received some coaching from the famous pianist Paderewski and competed in the Third International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland in 1937. He won third prize in that competition. Małcużyński’s piano playing had great passion and poetry.

Here are two recordings of him playing the Chopin Waltz in D Flat Major, Op. 70, No. 3, and the Chopin Waltz in c sharp minor Op. 64, No. 2. Enjoy!

Confidencias – Ernesto Nazareth

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Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934)

A Brazilian composer who is best known for the tangos that he wrote.  Nazareth also wrote waltzes and polkas.  He worked for a time as a pianist playing for silent films.  Nazareth’s tangoes and other music is full of beautiful melodies and infectious dance rhythms.  Ernesto Nazareth’s tangoes established him as one of the most influential Brazilian composers of the 20th century.

Confidencias means Confidences.  The piece is melancholy.  The title of the piece refers to lost opportunities in life.  This particular piece is a hesitation waltz.   I decided to post this piece because I want people to know about this composer (who I think is not as well known as he should be).  I also think this piece is very beautiful.

The pianist on this recording is  Iara Behs.  She is one of the foremost pianists in Brazil.  You can buy the recording of this piece and other pieces by Nazareth on Amazon.com.  It is an excellent recording.  I have a copy of this recording and I highly recommend it.