Rocky Mountain Waltzes (2019)

Rocky Mountain Waltzes

Rocky Mountain Waltzes was my, non-prize-winning, entry to a call for compositions of the Denver ARS chapter. And all its sections are in ternary time. So that takes care of the title. Otherwise I have no idea if people especially dance waltzes in the Rockies.

There are four waltz-like sections:

1. A slow (or English) waltz, replete with jazz chords,
2. A faster section, close to a Vienese waltz,
3. A jazz waltz, too fast for dancing, and with interesting syncopated rhythms in the middle voices; and
4. A Tarantelle-like very fast closing.

This is scored for traditional SATB quartet, though some bass passages work better on great bass. The idiom is tonal, as could be found in a “jazz standard”, of which the harmonizations are clearly reminiscent. Running time is 3-4 minutes.

This piece is freely available on IMSLP. If you like it, why no buy me a coffee?