Rondo-Valse

This is one of my most popular works! A true tour de force, the Rondo-Valse requires great technical mastery in a variety of settings. After a short improvisatory introduction, the piece dives into the recurring main theme, which repeats at progressively faster speeds throughout the piece. This repeated waltz theme is suddenly interrupted multiple times by a relaxing reprieve, a deeply passionate minor section reminiscent of Rachmaninoff, and a coda with quick arpeggios and descending scales inspired by the Durand Waltz (one of the first major pieces I learned – I was seven years old).

However, this coda was not to be the end, as the theme simply returns at a much faster pace with additional technical difficulties added in the left hand! Finally, the piece ends in the blink of an eye as the theme is repeated one last time at breakneck speed, testing the final endurance of both the performer and listener.

This piece makes a fantastic encore due to its highly virtuosic nature. It’s a very fun piece once the performer get over the challenges, which includes left hand leaps, blind octaves, rapid note sequences, and many other Liszt-inspired passages.