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EASY PIANO VERSION

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The most important variation is the omission of the low two-
note
rolled harmonies in the left hand in favor of single notes an octave higher to
avoid
the large jumps to the accompanying rhythm. The right hand is also much thinner,
strategically removing both inner chord notes and lower octaves.
0:13 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:25 [m. 9]--Part 2. The texture of the right hand is again greatly thinned in the
contrasting phrase, but the left hand actually retains most of the material. For
the three-chord descent, only the essential harmony is retained and the top voice
of the descent is transferred to the right hand.
0:38 [m. 17]--As at the opening, the return thins out the right hand and moves the
two-note rolled harmonies up to an octave to single bass notes. At the end, the
leaping octaves in the right hand are changed to one octave split between the
hands.
The large left hand leap that replaces the three-chord descent is made easier by
removing the lower octave from the first bass note.
0:51 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Reprise of the contrasting phrase from 0:25. The
accompanying rhythm begins right after the cadence.
1:05 [m. 17]--Reprise of the returning opening melody and its cadence from 0:38.
The echoing after-beat chord is still present.
1:21--END OF WALTZ [24 mm.]

TWO PIANO VERSION


0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The additional piano allows both the main rhythm and the
accompanying
rhythm to be greatly fleshed out from the one-piano duet version. In Piano 1, the
main rhythm is doubled in the piano’s middle range by the left hand, and the
accompanying
rhythm is brought up to the treble register in Piano 2. The left hand of Piano 2
adds doubling chords to much of the accompanying rhythm.
0:16 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated, with an especially rich transition into the upbeat.

0:31 [m. 9]--Part 2. At the beginning of the transitional phrase, Piano 1 is the
same as the primo, but at the end, a higher octave is added to the last upward-
reaching
bars, including the two-bar transitional rising octaves. Piano 2 is more
adventurous,
greatly fleshing out the secondo and utilizing the higher register unavailable to
that part in the single-piano duet version. The three-chord descent is presented
in its most lush form, reaching quite high in Piano 2.
0:46 [m. 17]--The return of the opening is the same as the opening itself until its
higher reaching full close. Again, Piano 1 makes use of the bass register for the
main rhythm and Piano 2 uses the treble register for the accompanying rhythm. The
three-chord descent again reaches high in Piano 2.
1:02 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Reprise of the contrasting phrase from 0:31. The
accompanying rhythm in Piano 2 begins right after the cadence.
1:18 [m. 17]--Reprise of the returning opening melody and its cadence from 0:46.
The echoing after-beat chord at the end is thicker than in any other version, the
higher register being available in Piano 2.
1:39--END OF WALTZ [24 mm.]

No. 3 in G-SHARP MINOR.

DUET VERSION
0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The waltz has a quiet, melancholy flavor, with a languid
“long-short-short-short”
figure dominating the primo part. The line is doubled above in octaves. The
secondo
breaks its rhythm into bass octaves on the first beats of bars, and right-hand
chords
on the other two. The eight-bar phrase moves toward its related major key (B).
0:12 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:23 [m. 9]--Part 2. The secondo continues with the same pattern, with the bass
octaves reaching quite low in the second half of the phrase and being added to
third
beats in all but the second and fourth bars. In the primo, the right hand plays
alone in the first half. The left hand takes over the melody halfway through as
the waltz strongly turns back to minor, with the right hand adding high decorative
counterpoint before the wistful cadence. The primo counterpoint line leads into
the repeat.
0:36 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Final cadence cuts off the counterpoint before the
lead-in.
0:53--END OF WALTZ [16 mm.]

SOLO VERSION
2:24 [m. 1]--Part 1. There are two major differences from the duet version.
First,
the left hand, which takes most of the secondo part, only plays single bass notes
on the first beats instead of octaves. Second, the right hand, taking over the
primo,
does not double its line in the high octave.
2:39 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
2:51 [m. 9]--Part 2. The right hand is the same as the duet primo in the first
half.
In the second half, the right hand plays both the melody and the (slightly
altered)
high counterpoint, effectively duplicating both hands of the primo. The left hand
still only has single bass notes, but must combine these with chords when they are
on third beats. The counterpoint again leads to the repeat.
3:06 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. The last chord is actually fuller than in the duet
version.
3:25--END OF WALTZ [16 mm.]

EASY PIANO VERSION


0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. Some chords and leaps are slightly simplified.
0:12 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:23 [m. 9]--Part 2. Again, chords are simplified or are indicated to be rolled
to accommodate smaller hands. The counterpoint in the second half is completely
omitted, with only minor harmonies added to the end of the melody to compensate.

0:36 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated.


0:52--END OF WALTZ [16 mm.]

No. 4 in E MINOR. Poco sostenuto.

DUET VERSION
0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The waltz is marked forte and appassionato. It has the
character
of the composer’s Hungarian Dances. Some flexibility of rhythm is appropriate.
A turn figure on an upbeat begins things in the primo. The two hands harmonize,
mostly in sixths. Two more of the turn figures are heard on upbeats. The secondo
plays bass notes and octaves in the left hand, punctuating offbeat chords in the
right. The music intensifies toward the end of the phrase as it moves to B minor.
The turn figure leads to the repeat.
0:11 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated. The turn figure is retained to lead to Part 2.
0:22 [m. 9]--Part 2. In a contrasting phrase, the primo begins playing octaves in
the left hand. These are passed to the right hand while the left hand starts to
harmonize. In the second half of the phrase, the left hand takes the leading role
with the right hand adding high syncopated responses. The secondo begins by
playing
octaves, some of them displaced, between the hands. In the second half, the left
hand plays low octaves while the right hand joins the primo left hand in the
leading
role. The second half intensifies greatly for the return.
0:32 [m.17]--Varied return of the opening phrase. Both hands of the primo now play
harmonized sixths at the climactic return. The phrase is altered, intensified, and
lengthened by two bars. It remains in E minor. The secondo right hand chords
become
more numerous, and they play on downbeats in the last four bars. The upbeat turn
figure leads to the repeat.
0:46 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Reprise of contrasting phrase from 0:22.
0:56 [m. 17]--Reprise of returning altered and intensified phrase from 0:32.
Emphatic
closing.
1:13--END OF WALTZ [26 mm.]

SOLO VERSION
3:26 [m. 1]--Part 1. The harmonies from the primo must now be taken by the right
hand alone. The combining of the bass notes and the punctuating chords from the
secondo leads to some wide leaps and rolled tenths in the left hand.
3:38 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
3:48 [m. 9]--Part 2. For the contrasting phrase, the octaves and harmonies from
the primo are combined and slightly simplified in the right hand. The octaves in
the secondo are played by the left hand. The syncopated responses in the second
half of the duet version are omitted here. Brahms compensates by adding heavy
accents
to the melody notes in the right hand.
3:57 [m. 17]--In the varied return, most of the primo minus some octave doubling
in the harmonized sixths, is transferred to the right hand. The left hand is given
a workout to compensate for the missing hands, making wide leaps and rolling all
the thick chords in the second half of the phrase.
4:09 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Reprise of contrasting phrase from 3:48.
4:20 [m. 17]--Reprise of varied opening phrase from 3:57.
4:35--END OF WALTZ [26 mm.]

EASY PIANO VERSION


0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The right hand is mostly unaltered. The left hand is greatly
simplified. The low bass notes are brought up an octave to avoid the wide leaps.
The octave and tenth doublings in some bas notes are dispensed with. The
punctuating
chords are greatly reduced in thickness.
0:10 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:20 [m. 9]--Part 2. The “difficult” solo version simplifies much from the duet
version already in the contrasting phrase, and in the easy version, other than some
minor phrasings and accentuations, both hands are largely unchanged. In the second
half, Brahms does reduce the octaves in the left hand to single notes, but he gives
the player the option of adding the lower octave.
0:28 [m. 17]--For the varied return, many of the sixths in the right hand are
reduced
to single notes. Some octaves and harmonies in the intensifying second half are
also dispensed with. The left hand bass notes are brought up an octave and the
huge
chords are greatly thinned out. Most are not rolled. The higher bass notes help
the wide leaps to be avoided.
0:40 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Reprise of contrasting phrase from 0:20.
0:48 [m. 17]--Reprise of varied opening phrase from 0:28.
1:02--END OF WALTZ [26 mm.]

No. 5 in E MAJOR.
Note: This waltz uses the same musical material as the vocal quartet “Der Gang zum
Liebchen,” Op. 31, No. 3, which is in E-flat major, a half-step lower.

DUET VERSION
0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The waltz is marked dolce (sweetly). The very gentle melody
begins with an upbeat and features a dotted (long-short) rhythm at the beginning
of each two-bar unit. It is initially buried in an inner voice, played by the left
hand of the primo. The right hand plays repeated octave B’s. After two bars, the
melody climbs to the top and the octaves begin to move as an inner voice, with the
hands now doubled an octave apart. This alternation repeats twice more in two-bar
units, with the melody moving again to the lower, then the upper voice. The
secondo
plays a very flowing accompaniment, including chords after the beats in the last
four bars, with a steady, solid bass. The section moves to B major at the end.
0:16 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:32 [m. 9]--Part 2. The contrasting phrase moves to F-sharp minor, then quickly
back to E, still using the rich harmonies and inner voices. The dotted rhythms
pass
between them and obscure which voice is the “melody.” Accented, resolving “sigh”
figures abound. The secondo continues its flowing accompaniment. After four bars,
the next phrase is an exact repetition of the first half of Part 1 in the primo,
but with a new sustained pedal-point bass held from the first four bars (on the
“dominant”
note B) in the secondo.
0:47 [m. 17]--The closing passage of Part 2, only six bars long, feels like a long
phrase extension, beginning with a strong key change to A major over mild accents.
The main melody is slightly varied and heard in that key, again passing from an
inner to an outer voice, the hands doubled an octave apart. The final two bars
wrench
the music suddenly back home to E in a harmonized descending line. The top voice
ends on the third of the chord, not the keynote, giving the close a sense of
wistful
timelessness. The flowing accompaniment in the secondo becomes even more active
and the low bass chords somewhat heavier.
1:01 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of contrasting phrase and return of
opening
from 0:32.
1:17 [m. 17]--Restatement of the six-bar closing passage moving to A major and back
from 0:47.
1:35--END OF WALTZ [22 mm.]

SOLO VERSION
4:36 [m. 1]--Part 1. The octave doubling in the initial primo B’s, as well as the
complete doubling between the hands in the rest of the primo, is omitted, and the
right hand covers everything in one octave (including some lower octaves in the
second
half). The top voice is an octave lower than in the duet version throughout. The
inner voice and the passing of the melody between the top and the middle is
retained.
The secondo is completely altered. The flowing accompaniment is replaced by a
slower
left-hand chord accompaniment.
4:52 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
5:08 [m. 9]--Part 2. In the first four contrasting bars, the entire primo is able
to be retained in the right hand. The return of the opening adds a lower (not a
higher) octave on the repeated B’s that was not there in Part 1. The left hand
continues
to replace the flowing secondo with harmonies that move more closely with the right
hand. The return of the opening also adds two low B’s to emphasize the sustained
pedal point.
5:24 [m. 17]--The six-bar closing passage reduces the left hand to the heavy bass
chords at the beginning, played an octave higher than in the duet version. The
right
hand adds extra octave notes to the harmony (simulating the complete doubling in
the duet version) as it moves to A major and back. The top voice is again an
octave
lower than in the duet version.
5:37 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of contrasting phrase and return of
opening
from 5:08.
5:52 [m. 17]--Restatement of the six-bar closing passage moving to A major and back
from 5:24.
6:09--END OF WALTZ [22 mm.]

EASY PIANO VERSION


0:00 [m. 1]-- The harmonies in the left hand are somewhat simplified, including the
omission of a top line that doubled the melody in the third and fourth bars. A
lower
octave doubling of the top voice in the last four bars is removed. The bass notes
in the last two bars are an octave higher.
0:12 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:24 [m. 9]--Part 2. In the first contrasting bars, the inner voice is transferred
from the right hand to an octave lower in the left hand, whose pedal bass (low B’s)
is moved up an octave. The return of the opening dispenses with the lower octave
Bs in both hands. The pedal point is retained at a higher level.
0:37 [m. 17]--The six-bar closing passage makes the left hand chords less heavy by
removing their top voice. One low bass note in the penultimate bar is raised an
octave. The extra octave notes are removed from the right hand in the motion to
A major.
0:49 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of contrasting phrase and return of
opening
from 0:24.
1:04 [m. 17]--Restatement of the six-bar closing passage moving to A major and back
from 0:37.
1:18--END OF WALTZ [22 mm.]

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