Charles Camille Saint-Saëns ： Wedding Cake Caprice Waltz in As-Dur Op.76

A caprice waltz for piano and orchestra that makes the most of the bright and sparkling sonority of A-flat major. Against a light triple-meter flow, elegant melodies alternate with virtuosic passages, while changes suggesting the development of the theme add color to the music. From the opening buoyancy through passages in which the melody expands to the bright excitement of the close, contrasts of character from one section to another are among the work’s attractions. The pianist should attend not only to brilliance but also to dialogue with the accompaniment, avoiding haste in the smaller notes while maintaining the waltz pulse and supple lyricism. Ornaments and leaps should be articulated lightly and clearly, with nuanced dynamics shaping a refined brilliance.