2 Waltzes: Opus 39 No. 5 – Opus 39 No. 9

The Anacrouse collection offers pianists, beginners and advanced alike, a wide choice of classical works from the Renaissance to the present day. It brings together major works of the repertoire as well as rarer pieces, and also offers transcriptions for piano solo or four hands, selected for their musical and educational interest. Each score, available individually, benefits from careful editorial work: a rigorously established musical text, clear and legible engraving, accompanied by a short biography of the composer and a note on the work.

The “Waltz in E major, Opus 39 No. 5” is a piece of great distinction, combining rigorous writing with the atmosphere of a Viennese salon. For the pianist, it offers excellent work on double-note playing and right-hand fluidity. The pedagogical challenge lies in the clarity of the thirds and sixths, which must be joined elegantly while preserving the lightness of the dance. It is an ideal work for developing wrist suppleness and precision of tone in a luminous, spring-like register.

Composed in 1865, Brahms’s Opus 39 collection is a vibrant tribute to the city of Vienna, where the composer had just settled. Originally written for piano four hands, these waltzes were so successful that Brahms himself made versions for solo piano. The fifth waltz stands out for its melodic grace and apparent simplicity, concealing a typically Brahmsian harmonic richness. It remains one of the most cherished miniatures for its perfect balance between classical technique and Romantic emotion.