Valsa – Choro
David Gaudreau
D’Oz: 3 Pages
Reviewed 17th September 2018
Canadian – born Gaudreau has produced many fine and melodic pieces over the years .They are always a joy to play. This piece has not got a speed marking but the style of the piece leaves you with little doubt as to how it should be played.
It is in two sections , the first in E minor, and following the standard accompaniment of a bass on beat one with a chord on beat two, and a melody consisting of a half note , followed by a quarter note. That said, it is very pleasant and has some unusual chordal placings that take a few plays to get smooth and effortless. After a climactic few bars and a ritardando on the dominant, one repeats this opening section and then there follows a key change to E Major, the choro section of the piece. This is much longer and is more animated with plenty of fast runs and arpeggios, which might make the players who took the opening section at a fast speed regret their decision to do so (There is no speed change at this juncture). The main idea is of an arpeggiated pattern split between melody and harmony that eventually moves away from this and becomes, at its climax, triplet eighth- notes that do task the players technique. Following this there is a first and second time bar where the entire second section is repeated, with a brief coda thereafter.
This is a lovely work, ideal for intermediate players.
Chris Dumigan
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